Students of TC

"Being raised by immigrant parents in the country of the 'free' and 'equal' was far from easy and being the youngest of seven siblings didn’t help. Imagine the bathroom being the closest thing to a sanctuary in a place you call home. No matter how dismal things were, my mother pushed one thing: 'Education is the key.' All my life I was taught that education is the big equalizer to the American Dream. It wasn’t until I was older that I realized that this was just a facade. I began feeling anger and frustration when I learned about the structural schemes of neighborhoods and how that correlates to education and schooling; feeling helpless when I realized how environment led to inequalities. Before understanding how social class and countless other factors effect education, I would have simply said, 'You got to know how to play the cards you are given.' But what do you do when your cards are all duds? How do you turn that around? It’s like it’s a set up to fail. I guess ignorance is bliss, because now I feel outraged and authorized to help. I feel like I need to become an agent that promotes change." - , M.Ed. Doctoral Candidate Student in Mathematics Education

STUDENTS OF TC IS RECRUITING!! Are you interested in joining the Students of TC team? We are hoping to fill two positions: the Marketing Role, where you are responsible for managing our social media accounts, and the Photographer Role, where you will document featured students. We are happy to share more information about the responsibilities of these two roles!
If interested (or know of someone who may be), please send us a DM, or tag them in the comments below.

We are extremely humbled to know that our work is now on the walls of Columbia University ()-Teachers College (). Reflecting back to 2014, our first semester as an independent project, Students of TC was not the result of a perfectly executed idea. It was the three of us committing ourselves to something that we loved, and going around campus to make it happen! We trusted the journey-believing that we would grow along the way (in our personal lives and as future researchers)-and that the work would become what it needed to be along the way. If we had waited for the perfect plan, the project would never have happened.

Our advice is simple: Whenever you are- in school, in the workplace, in transition-life is about the lessons along the way. Be a doer. Be your authentic self. Make your mark. A special shout-out to our sponsor, ().

“I've learned that no matter what happens, or how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow. I've learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights. I've learned that regardless of your relationship with your parents, you'll miss them when they're gone from your life. I've learned that making a 'living' is not the same thing as making a 'life.' I've learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance. I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catcher's mitt on both hands; you need to be able to throw something back. I've learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision. I've learned that even when I have pains, I don't have to be one. I've learned that every day you should reach out and touch someone. People love a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back. I've learned that I still have a lot to learn. I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” -MA Student in Education Policy

"I’m a daughter to immigrant parents and the eldest of three children. That being said, I suppose it's not much of a surprise that I’d end up choosing to professionally take on a caregiving role. My mama, born in Colombia, crossed the Mexican border with nothing but the shirt on her back when she was 19. She went off to get a college degree when I was a teen having never taken a single English class. My Papa, who is (proudly) from a small village in the north of Spain, worked 3 jobs when I was born to keep food on the table. Eventually he bought the bar he bartended in, saved up, and bought another one. Without knowing a speck of English, he’s funded my entire college education. I owe them both everything I have. Everything I am.

Currently, I serve as the Parent-Partner Coordinator at Morgan Stanley’s Children Hospital where I’m able to provide support to low-resource families. I consider myself incredibly fortunate to be honoring my calling, how many people can say that? To me, there's no greater satisfaction than the knowing that you’re reaching a child after it had initially seemed like the most impossible thing on the planet.
As for my future career goals... being the Spanish female version of Dr. Phil would be a sweet deal." - MA Student in Clinical Psychology

"I grew up in South Carolina. My elementary school was not very diverse. I remember when I was in about second grade we were getting ready to play kick ball for PE. The teacher instructed us to go outside and pick our own teams while he gathered the equipment. I can still remember the look on his face when he came outside and saw that all the Black kids were on one team and all the white kids were on the other. He was horrified. It wasn’t really a conscious decision by the students its just the way the teams ended up. Needless to say the teacher then told us to mix the teams up a bit. In those days I guess the color of my skin was a big determiner of how I identified myself. Things have become much more complicated since". -MA student in Applied Linguistics & TESOL

Come support our gallery installation opening reception in Thorndike Lobby on Monday, November 30th from 3-5pm and meet some of the students behind the project !!!

"My parents are from Togo, West Africa, and I was born in Paris, France. I moved to the states when I was young, but I have always been raised as a citizen of the world. As a child, I remember being introduced to the concept of "there is only one race, the human race", and while this has always made sense to me on an idealistic and biological level, growing up in the suburbs of the South and becoming more aware of the inequalities in our society made me realize how complex the notion of race is, particularly when it has to do with education. The more I study the field, the more I realize how heavily politicized it is. There are states in this country where the standardized test scores of African-American boys in the third grade are used to calculate how many jail cells are to be built. While more than half of the population in America's public schools are composed of students of color, 80% of teachers are white women. Knowing that statistics like these exist is the reason I am an educator. I believe in liberation education -- one in which schools, policies, and teachers serve as a safe haven for all of our students. I want my students to be able to create their own destinies, and not be victims of the cradle to prison pipeline. The root of the word education means "to draw out", and that is the work I feel compelled to do. I am here to help draw out what already exists within my scholars: beauty, power, intelligence, creativity, strength, and freedom." -MA Student in English Education 7-12th grade Initial Certification

"My best advice is to be your own biggest advocate and cheerleader. There is nothing more empowering than the trust you have in yourself. Not every day will be great, but when a tough one comes along look inward. Ask yourself how did I get here, what can I do differently next time, and most importantly understand that the tough moments, which will happen, are a learning experience simply challenging you to become better. When you minimize negative thoughts and negative words you find that you can be truly happy in what you’re doing and where you’re doing it. You become present. Always remember that a smile, too, goes a long way, for yourself and others!" -MA student in International Education Development

“Forbes released an article in September 2014 that ranked my hometown of Beaumont, Texas as the #1 least educated city in the nation. If I had allowed my environment to define me instead of influence me I would not be at TC today. For this reason, it's not about where you start but where you're determined to go and my best advice is to never underestimate the power of perseverance.
I understand the challenges that come with being a Black woman in America, growing up in Beaumont, being a first-generation college student. However, these will never be excuses to prevent me from pursuing my goals.
I may not have all the answers but I'm extremely resourceful, have an amazing work ethic and bring a unique perspective to the table. As I navigate through graduate school and my professional career, I make it a priority to challenge stereotypes and be a positive representation of Beaumont, minorities, and women.” - MA Student in Organizational Psychology

"My best advice is to simply be yourself and love yourself. It's something I still struggle with to this day but I've realized that the more you compare yourself to others, the more upset and angry you become. I've learned to embrace my own flaws because I realize I'm not perfect, nor will I ever be. Try to stay positive and humble in all situations by being grateful for what you have. I learned this the hard way but in my opinion, if you want others to love you, you have to love yourself first." -MA student in Post-Secondary Education

“One of the driving forces that led to my passion for college access and success was my own experience in college. I was the very fortunate recipient of generous financial aid from Bowdoin College, a school that my working class parents would not have afforded otherwise. I'm extremely proud of where I've come from - my parents' relentless work ethic and constant advice to take advantage of every opportunity in front of me are values that still guide me today. As I've developed more experience working with underrepresented students, I've also become more cognizant of the privileges I was born with, as a white, straight male. My desire to better understand the social constructs and institutions that perpetuate inequality in educational access (and my role within these systems) is something that drives my work at TC and my idea of my future role after graduation.” Student in Degree Program & Department Higher Education