BOLDLY BRUNONIAN '13

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What makes you YOU? Tell us a bit about your story, your background, anything at all.

I grew up in Santa Barbara, CA and couldn't wait to get away from all that surf, sun and good vibes. Brown was such a change of pace for me, and four years in New England cured me of some of my cynicism about endlessly sunny Southern California. Santa Barbara is now my home base, although I travel regularly - often with other Brunonians! I love a good pun, have never missed a season of Great British Bake Off, and am notorious for trying to pet every cat I meet. 

What's your favorite memory of Brown?

I have a lot of favorite memories of Brown - from conversations in fantastic seminar classes (Race in Imagined Futures, Russian Science Fiction & Fantasy, Japanese Literature to name just a few), to trying to figure out where the taco trucks were at 1 AM, to my first snowball fight in Keeney Quad - there are too many to choose! One of my favorite things about Brown is the Fall season, when the air gets crisp, the leaves change, and I have an excuse to find a really well-tailored peacoat at Second Time Around. 

Tell us more about your experience at Brown and the activities and communities in which you were involved. Why was Brown a special place for you?

While at Brown, I tried to dip my toes into a lot of different things. I graduated with a double major in Sociology and East Asian Studies, was a Recruiting Czar for Technology House, and got especially good at attending any and all events that advertised free Kabob & Curry. Brown was special because I finally felt like I had a place to be, even if my definition of what that place was seemed to change by the week. There was always a seminar or a group of friends having incredible conversations (I'm pretty sure we solved all the world's problems one night in Harkness House, only to have forgotten the solution by breakfast at Joe's the next morning), a professor whose excitement about a subject was unavoidably contagious, or an art performance that would leave you speechless. 

Why have you chosen a career in fundraising and higher education? 

I spent a lot of time during my summers away from Brown doing internships that taught me what I didn't want to do when I graduated. Luckily, I spent two months in Washington, D.C. before my senior year as an advocacy intern for a nonprofit and I realized what I had been missing - a sense that the work I was doing was making a difference in the lives of others. Nonprofit work provides that in spades, and after I graduated I had the true privilege of working at Dream Foundation, which is a nonprofit that grants Dreams to terminally ill adults. Coordinating Dreams for folks with less than a year to live really puts things in perspective, and that has been a North Star for me ever since.  

It really did feel like coming full circle when I joined UC Santa Barbara - my hometown university - as a Development Analyst for the Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics five years ago. It's so nice to be back on a college campus, and surrounded by literal geniuses! I'm a year into my new role as the Associate Director of Development for the Gevirtz Graduate School of Education, and my concentration in sociology has provided me the context to really be able to appreciate the social equity initiatives at our school. 

Tell us about theoretical physics! How does it differ from what we may have learned in high school about Newton's laws, forces and electric circuits? Why is it important?

I really wish I could tell you more about theoretical physics, but alas I have degrees in sociology and East Asian studies! When I first started working at KITP I asked our director, cosmologist Lars Bildsten, if scientists have "basically discovered everything there is to discover" in physics (yeah, I know, embarrassing). He very kindly set me straight and explained that the amount of discoveries happening in sub-fields of physics like cosmology, condensed matter, quantitative biology, and high energy physics are exponentially increasing. So that was definitely exciting! 

Einstein posited the existence of gravitational waves over 100 years ago, and in 2016 physicists at LIGO confirmed that. So sometimes the discoveries that are happening in theoretical physics aren't going to be applicable for a century. On the other hand, a lot of the work done in condensed matter physics in the last few decades is the reason we have cell phones with greater computational power than ever before, and the field of quantitative biology (using data science from physics to apply to complicated problems in biology) has the potential to very quickly accelerate medical breakthroughs in the near future. 

What are some exciting projects UCSB's Gevirtz School of Education is working on?

Our School houses the Departments of Education and Counseling, Clinical and School Psychology, as well as a world-class Teacher Education Program, so there is no limit to exciting projects and research happening here! I have particularly enjoyed fundraising for our community outreach efforts including our Reading Clinic, Autism Center, and the Healing Space – which is a space for Black clinicians-in-training to provide mental health resources to Black community members, with a special focus on healing racial trauma. 

Another exciting project is our Community Fellows Initiative, which was created to address the intersectional issues of diversifying the teacher workforce while improving the long-term retention of education professionals. 

The initiative provides full funding for candidates in our Teacher Education Program who are from our local area, represent the diversity of our local K-12 students, and otherwise would not be able to participate in the program due to financial need. Once credentialed, these students are offered first right of refusal for positions in the Santa Barbara Unified School District. We know that students who see themselves in their teachers benefit from better academic and social outcomes, and teachers who stay in communities where they have a social safety net often have higher rates of retention and housing stability. The 10 Community Fellows who have completed their teaching credentials over the last 4 years have already gone on to do amazing things in our community! 

What's the most interesting or surprising thing you've learned since starting your life after Brown?

I think the most surprising thing is just how much you can do with a liberal arts degree! I remember being so anxious graduating from Brown with no job lined up, concerned that I wasn't going to "make it" and wondering if I should have just applied to grad school instead. Within six months, I had landed a position that felt tailor-made to me, and I got to work across the hall from a Nobel Prize-winning theoretical physicist for four years! Every year I watch other Brown graduates take on new and exciting roles I'm sure many of them never imagined they would be doing, and they are thriving in them. 

What do you do in your free time? 

I love spending time in the mountains hiking and enjoying nature on my weekends. We barely experience seasons (apart from fire season) here - but that means that hiking season is all year 'round! When I'm not outside, you can usually find me catching the latest indie movie at my local theater, enjoying our local tasting rooms and breweries with friends, playing in a weekly Dungeons & Dragons campaign, or reading a good science fiction book (my current favorite is N.K. Jemisin's The Fifth Season). Over the last few years I've also had the pleasure of becoming much more involved with the larger nonprofit community in our county, and in 2020 I served as Vice Chair of the Santa Barbara County Independent Redistricting Committee which helped to re-draw our county district lines to more equitably reflect the diverse demographics of the Central Coast. Currently I am a member of our chapter of League of Women Voters, where I serve on the Housing Committee. 

What makes you YOU? Feel free to tell us a bit about your story, your background, anything at all.

          I am the oldest of three children. I was raised in Miramar, FL, located between Miami and Fort Lauderdale, until I graduated from high school. After graduating from Brown, I joined Teach for America and was placed in the Las Vegas area, where I have lived since 2013. Living in three distinct areas of the country, interacting with diverse individuals, completing public service internships while attending Brown, and serving underserved communities over the last seven years has had a profound impact on my sense of purpose and self. My experiences have been exceptional, and too many students who look like me, do not get the opportunities that I have. That is why I have sought to leverage my professional progress as a way to increase the avenues of success for students and families. As a teacher, teacher leader, instructional coach, and assistant principal, I have worked to ensure the best possible education for students and to secure essential resources for families. My goal: Stories of success and community empowerment in the communities that I serve will become the rule and not the exception.

Who or what inspires you to be who you are and do what you do?

The students. Always the students. The traditional public school system in America continues to face internal and external challenges that make the desired success elusive. The bureaucracy and politics attempt to remove students from the equation when students are the only factor that truly matters. Every day I look at class pictures from my previous classes and notes that my former students wrote to me to remind me that I am making a difference and that I have to make a difference. Other forces may weigh heavily, but I am doing it for my students who need a great education and support finding their paths to success. 

What's your favorite memory of Brown?

So many. Spring Weekends are a given. Conversations with classmates until late at night, of course. Yet I find myself turning back to one specific memory: the igloo. One morning after a pretty significant snowfall, I saw a few people filling waste bins with snow to make blocks. They told me they were making an igloo and I joined them immediately. When we finished in the evening, we took a moment to sit inside and enjoy our testament to teamwork. It was an experience that a boy from South Florida could never forget.

Tell us more about your experience at Brown and the activities and communities in which you were involved. Why was Brown a special place for you?

Brown was my Harry Potter's wand. It was a perfect match for me because it allowed me the freedom to explore many areas of interest without penalty and to deeply study areas of specific interest early. My high school education experience was highly structured, so Brown's constructive irreverence was welcome. At Brown, I made lifelong friends who challenged me and opened my eyes to new experiences and points of view. They made me not only a better person but a more conscious person, which has served me well in the work that I do now. Being an active member of the Brown Democrats allowed me to engage in political activism in ways I had not before and the Undergraduate Council of Students (UCS) taught me how to lead effectively and allowed me to effect changes across the Brown campus that would outlive my time at Brown. Moreover, I realized the power in a group of people working toward a common cause: a realization that continues to define my work today. Brown made me who I am and I would not have traded my experience for the world.

Why have you chosen a career around education? 

As a political science and history concentrator, I planned to go to law school and become a public sector attorney. However, life had other plans and I am grateful. I ran a tutoring program in high school and I enjoyed the moments of learning that I saw, but I did not seriously engage the notion of being an educator. Yet, when I worked as an intern for a legal aid service, in between by junior and senior year at Brown, I began to reconsider. I reconsidered because I noticed that people struggled with reading the contracts that we were explaining to them and that people made poor decisions based on inadequate mathematical ability. I realized that our legal advice could only go so far, education would be key in supporting equity. People needed a strong educational foundation before adulthood. So, I considered ways to  enter education, and decided the Teach for America was the best route.

Do you have any stories from the classroom the class might enjoy or be able to learn from (especially for those fellow teachers out there)? (Something like one of your students overcoming an obstacle/finding success or something funny your students  did or said.)

I could go the route of how many times I have been called "mom" or "Miss," but I will go with a relatively "recent" moment. I had a fifth-grade student my second year as a teacher who challenged me. He enjoyed defying requests, turning over desks, and antagonizing others. Yet most of this behavior was the result of the abusive environment that he came from, so I had to keep that in mind as I interacted with him. I could not give up on him and I had to give him the best education possible. Memorably, my supervisor was observing a science lesson and he yelled out that a powder we were working with looked like "Straight dope" (You cannot make this up). We got to a good place by the end of the year, but I worried as he left for middle school. A couple of weeks ago, he reached out to me through Gmail. He remembered me and told me he was doing well as he began 11th grade. Knowing that he was doing well, hearing that he remembered me, and recognizing that I may have had some hand in his success humbled me and filled my heart. 

What's the most interesting or surprising thing you've learned since starting your life after Brown? 

I was surprised how much I love the field of education. I knew that I had a personal love of learning, but I could not envision the satisfaction that I get from engaging in and observing effective teaching and learning. Watching "ah ha" moments in classrooms are rewarding in themselves because you now know that the students own a new piece of knowledge or skill. My passion for teaching and learning is why I stayed past my two-year Teach for America teaching commitment (which was not a given) and why I have proudly committed my life to education.

What do you do in your free time? 

I love going to the gym and hiking (Nevada has so much natural beauty). I also love to travel, read, go on dates with my wife, watch Netflix, take a moment to reset (burnout is real).

How has COVID changed your day-to-day? 

My day-to-day became deathly silent. I missed having students in the building. I recently became an assistant principal of an elementary school so that I could expand my impact on students, families, and communities. To not have students in close proximity produces unique challenges to this goal. We cannot connect as a school like we usually do. Virtual learning has been threatened by unstable internet and varied home situations. Further, childcare is an issue that must be resolved for distance learning. Parents have to work and students need to be in school, yet each need complicates the other as parents cannot always ensure that students log on and parents quitting jobs puts a student's livelihood in jeopardy. The teachers, the office staff, and community parents are doing the best they can. Teachers are teaching creative and engaging lessons. Community partners are providing resources to the community. My boss, the counselor, and I have been doing home visits to connect with families. We have secured hotspots and discounted internet for almost all families. Despite all of this, we know that the academic, socioeconomic, and social harm that students will experience will continue to persist until we can fully return to in-person learning. Admittedly, COVID has led to a needed technological revolution in education but we are still determining how to best limit the harm and leverage opportunities. We hope to be as successful as possible.

Fortunately, we can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Pre-K to Grade 3 students returned to our building last March, alternating between two days at school and three days online a week. Pre-K to Grade 5 students returned in April for five days a week in person. Of course there are precautions, safeguards, and social distancing, but we are getting closer to normal.  It helps that most staff members are vaccinated and that the state of Nevada is doing an excellent job in providing vaccinations to all adults. It is nice to hear the laughter and running feet of children again. It is almost cathartic. I believe that we will have a more standard school year, as long as everyone continues to do their part. 

Do you think online learning is here to stay post pandemic?

I think it will always be an option. Some students are flourishing with online learning and for some families it works for their schedule. Also, this will be the go-to for any future pandemics. But, I believe, nothing will replace in-person learning. Too many students did not benefit from it. It will be interesting to see what role online learning will play in our classrooms. I do think, in some cases, that methods of engagement using technology have changed instruction for the better. The coexistence will be the next frontier in education. It’s exciting.

What profile of teachers and students have flourished most from online learning?

The training of teachers in new educational technology has been a struggle (generationally). Newer teachers have mostly taken to it better that more veteran teachers. Further it has led to some generationally turnover in the admin and teaching profession. 

And, students who thrive: Shy students, with early experience with technology, extensive parental support, and solid access to internet. 

How can fellow alums be the most impactful during this time?

Wear a mask. Seriously. Wear a mask. Social distance. Follow hygiene guidelines. Stay home if you are sick. If we all do our part, the sooner we can return to in-person learning and can fully reopen our economy. 

Is there anything else you want to say to the class that we haven't asked you about?

I have not said this enough. Thank you all for being the best classmates ever. You all played a part in making me who I am and you all are doing amazing things. I look forward to seeing you all on the other side of this pandemic.