On June 24th, 2025, Ms. Philicia Levinson P’19 was announced as the Interim Head of School for the 2025-2026 school year. While she may be new to this role, she is not new to the MBS community.
Prior to working at MBS, Ms. Levinson was a Chief Financial Officer for two publicly traded companies. Ms. Levinson started as a parent at MBS before eventually becoming a math teacher in the fall of 2018. After her role as a part of the math department, she transitioned into the role of Chief Financial and Operations Officer in 2019. Finally, she spent her last few years as the Director of Human Resources before announcing her retirement at the end of last year.
When Ms. Levinson got the call to be the Interim Head of School, she was beyond honored to be considered for the role. However, Ms. Levinson was supposed to retire after the 2024-2025 school year, and immediately wondered if she had to return any of her retirement gifts! Although it was difficult to put off retirement for another year, the choice for Ms. Levinson was clear. She said, “I love this School. I have such gratitude for what it did for my family.” Ms. Levinson said that she is looking forward to leading the community this year, and that while this new role may be challenging, one thing she loves is a good challenge.
Ms. Levinson’s biggest mission for this year is simple, yet powerful: to bring the fun and joy back into the community. Coming out of COVID, she recognized the stress that students faced and wants to reignite the spark that makes coming to School exciting. For her, a thriving community means laughter and joy that make Mondays feel less like Mondays, and a place where stress doesn’t weigh people down, but gets balanced with support and positivity. However, Ms. Levinson’s mission will not end this year. When searching for the next Head of School, she wants them to “understand the culture and mission of MBS” and maintain the sense of community MBS embodies, leaving the School in “good hands.”
She believes that one of the ways to bring joy back into the community can be through All School Meeting because it shows the “personality of the School.” Furthermore, she hopes to continue to build an athletic program that supports the growth of student-athletes on and off the field, court, pool, and track. Her favorite MBS memory is watching her daughter walk at graduation in 2019, especially since she was also a faculty member at the time.
Outside of her role as Head of School, Ms. Levinson has many hidden joys. Ms. Levinson is a rap music enthusiast. Whether it’s Kendrick Lamar, JID, or Amine, she loves the energy and creativity of the music. While she enjoys the music of many artists, her favorite is Kendrick Lamar and his album good kid, m.A.A.d city. She also enjoys watching Love Island. Her favorite season is Love Island: US season six, with fan favorites Kordell, Serena, Leah, and Miguel.
With her mix of leadership, positivity, and love for challenges, Ms. Levinson is excited to guide MBS through an amazing year.
