TC Welcomes Admitted Students at Special Event - 1

TC Welcomes Admitted Students at Special Event - 1

FIRST BELL The day began with a welcome session in Cowin Auditorium

On April 6th, on the eve of Academic Festival, the newest members of the Teachers College community spent the day on campus meeting their future professors, learning about student life at TC, and getting to know their classmates and new friends. In all, Admitted Student Day 2018 drew more than 400 admitted students, and their families, to learn more about what makes TC special.

As the day opened, attendees heard from Yolanda Sealey-Ruiz, Associate Professor of English Education, and Ty McNamee, doctoral candidate in Higher & Postsecondary Education, about TC’s legacy of innovation and inclusion. For Sophie Brotherton, who will arrive this fall as a master’s degree student in Early Childhood Special Education, those traditions were paramount. “I was drawn to TC’s commitment to equity and social justice, because that is why I want to be a teacher,” said the Smith College alumna, who spent two years teaching in Japan. “I believe that I stand for TC’s values, and TC stands for mine.” 

“I was drawn to TC’s commitment to equity and social justice, because that is why I want to be a teacher.” 

—Sophie Brotherton, Early Childhood Special Education

TC Welcomes Admitted Students at Special Event - 2

TC Welcomes Admitted Students at Special Event - 2

FUTURE COLLEAGUES The end-of-day Mix & Mingle.

Jake Henin, who will pursue his Ed.M. inEducation of Teachers in Science, was doing cancer research as a Vassar undergraduate when he fell in love with teaching. He was drawn to TC because “this is the only program of its kind that is specialized in what I want to do.” Abby Weinstein, Henin’s future colleague in TC’s Department of Mathematics, Sciences & Technology (she’ll be pursuing an M.S. in Teaching Biology), considered a few career paths before she began tutoring and decided to become a teacher. She learned about TC through her sister, who enjoyed attending Columbia. 

FUTURE COLLEAGUES The end-of-day Mix & Mingle.The admitted students were able to attend a series of panels featuring currently enrolled master’s and doctoral students. One current student, Purva Chopra, a master’s candidate in Social-Organizational Psychology, encouraged the new students to be proactive in embedding themselves into the TC and Columbia communities. Chopra said she enjoyed speaking “in the company of other panelists who were equally passionate and committed” and that sharing her insights made her feel “even more convinced about my own decision to be at TC.”    

“When I was thinking about graduate school, I wanted to continue with higher education that I would be proud to have. I’ve always loved New York City, and the program just seemed so right!” 

Kayla Martinez, Developmental Disabilities

Abdul-Qadir Islam, who will pursue a doctorate in English Education, confided, “I am saying ‘yes’ because of the energy in the department.” Islam, a Philadelphia native and experienced English teacher, looks forward to exploring youth civic engagement. “I want to think about the way in which young folks are telling different stories through digital media, how they are creating community through stories of struggle, triumph, and resistance, and how we validate youth and create spaces and teach others how those identities come out.”

TC Welcomes Admitted Students at Special Event - 3

TC Welcomes Admitted Students at Special Event - 2

TAKING IT ALL IN A campus tour, led by TC's Student Ambassadors.

Many of the attendees had already enrolled in Teachers College, but others made their decision as a result of the day’s activities. “After today, I am going to TC,” said Brooke Meyers, who will pursue an M.S. in Communication Sciences & Disorders.  Meyers, who discovered her passion for speech-language pathology through working with a non-verbal autistic child, said the program seems “collaborative and very supportive” and that TC in general has a warm “campus feel.” 

At the Mix & Mingle, the day’s final event where attendees were able to chat with their future classmates over light refreshments, Meyers’ future program classmate Sydney Brooks, a Georgetown University undergraduate who is majoring in Linguistics and Psychology with a minor in Spanish, said she is coming to TC to achieve a lifelong goal. “I’ve always wanted to be a speech-language pathologist,” she said. “Because I come from a non-CSD background, I appreciate the breadth in the program, and the option to do the bilingual extension. I’m finally going to become an SLP after all these years!”

“After today, I am going to TC.” 

Brooke Meyers, Communication Sciences & Disorders

For some incoming students, the decision process was simpler, because TC just fit. “When I was thinking about graduate school, I wanted to continue with higher education that I would be proud to have,” explained Kayla Martinez, who holds certification in Elementary and Special Education and will be pursuing her TC master’s degree in Developmental Disabilities. “I’ve always loved New York City, and the program just seemed so right!” – Sara Edmunds

Although Admitted Student Day has come and gone, Teachers College is still accepting applications for admission. Many of our graduate programs still have seats available, and we encourage potential students to submit their materials to begin their studies this summer or fall.