In recognition of their dedication and perseverance in completing their degrees, Teachers College honored more than 2,100 masters and doctoral graduates from the Class of 2025 during four ceremonies at the United Palace Theater in Washington Heights on May 20 and 21. Joining an alumni community of nearly 100,000 across the globe, Teachers College graduates celebrated alongside their families while emerging as the next generation of leading scholars in education, health and psychology.

President Thomas Bailey’s address to graduates emphasized that, despite the challenges educators and researchers are facing, there is optimism to be found in the impactful work of TC students who are collaborating with communities to craft innovative and sustainable solutions to pressing challenges. 

“Our graduates here today have demonstrated that they care about making the world better, about growing, about questioning,” Bailey said. “They recognize that even with the benefits of artificial intelligence, there remains a need for us to talk to each other. To be together. To engage at a deep level.”

“By being in this world as TC students, you have already been making a difference through challenging times, through disagreement, discomfort and even discord,” Bailey continued. “Part of your education has been to live in that discord and it has prepared you for what is still to come.”

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(Photo: Paulo Basseto) 

(Photo: Paulo Basseto)

Leslie Morse Nelson, Chair of the Board of Trustees (Photo: Paulo Basseto)

(Photo: Paulo Basseto)

KerryAnn O'Meara, Vice President for Academic Affairs, Provost, and Dean of the College (left). (Photo: Paulo Basseto)

(Photo: Paulo Basseto)

(Photo: Paulo Basseto)

(Photo: Paulo Basseto)

(Photo: Paulo Basseto)

(Photo: Paulo Basseto)

The United Palace Theater in Washington Heights. (Photo: Paulo Basseto) 

TC Board of Trustees Chair Leslie Morse Nelson reaffirmed College’s longstanding commitment to supporting societal wellbeing and promoting impactful change. “This is a momentous day. Not only because it signifies the culmination of a tremendous amount of academic effort but also because it signals your commitment and your readiness to step into the world and make a difference as innovators and leaders,” she said.

Here are more key takeaways from TC’s 2025 Convocation ceremonies.

Inspiring Remarks from TC’s Medal for Distinguished Service Recipients

TC Clinical Psychology alumnae Becky Kennedy (Ph.D. ’10), Founder & CEO of Good Inside, and Erica Belsky, (Ph.D. ’12), Co-Founder & COO of Good Inside, addressed Counseling & Clinical Psychology and Human Development graduates.

“So here you are — graduates of Teachers College. Trained in psychology, education, policy, conflict resolution, and leadership. But more than anything, trained in understanding people,” said Kennedy. “That skill doesn’t go out of style. It doesn’t get automated. And it doesn’t belong to just one career path. It’s the skill that allows you to lead, to build, to heal, to teach, to connect.”

At a critical moment in time where mental health care and support are more needed than ever, Belsky encouraged graduates to “take a moment and pause” and remember that they are what the world needs right now. “Understanding people isn’t a soft skill — it’s the skill. It’s the thing that makes everything else work,” said Belsky. “In a world full of fast fixes and surface-level solutions, you offer something deeper. You have insight, empathy, vision. You have the ability to walk into messy, emotional, complicated spaces— and bring clarity. That’s what the world needs right now.”

Addressing graduates in the Arts & Humanities, Curriculum & Teaching, and Education Policy & Social Analysis programs, Michelle Ebanks, President and CEO of The Apollo, who was honored together with Kamilah Forbes, Executive Producer at The Apollo, encouraged graduates to “craft their wisdom into real-life success” and reflected on TC’s legacy of influential alumni.

“Rest assured TC has given you the wisdom...I believe you will forge ahead with a sense of wonder, and purpose, and hope. And I imagine that the many paths you will take will have some connection to where you have been [and] where you have come from,” shared Ebanks. “Some of the great contributors to the Harlem Renaissance attended Teachers College, including artists Charles Alston (M.A. ’1931) and Aaron Douglas (M.A. ’1944), both of whom dedicated themselves to educating future artists. Perhaps that search for purpose and belonging is what draws so many to Harlem, still today.”

Memorable Moments of Celebration

Richard Fields (Ed.D. ’25), Deandre Desir, Alex Gertner, Alejandro Lopez-Samame and T. J. Robinson perform “I Want You Back.” (Photo: Paulo Basseto) 

Brian Kennerly (M.A. ’92), President of the Alumni Council, welcomes new graduates to the Teachers College alumni community. (Photo: Paulo Basseto) 

(Photo: Paulo Basseto)

(Photo: Paulo Basseto) 

Lindsay Burstedt (M.A. ’16) and John Schmergel (Ed.D. ’25) perform “Tight Grip.” (Photo: Paulo Basseto) 

(Photo: Paulo Basseto)

Faculty wave to graduates during their entrance. (Photo: Paulo Basseto)

Graduates in the final convocation ceremony touched The Apollo Theater’s “Tree of Hope” for luck as they crossed the stage. (Photo: Paulo Basseto)

A drum line performance concluded each ceremony. (Photo: Paulo Basseto)

Families traveled from far and wide to celebrate Convocation with their graduates. (Photo: Paulo Basseto)

Music & Music Education graduates and students performed "Make Our Garden Grow." Pictured:  Mittie Cowan (M.Ed. ’25), Lisa Lockhart (M.A. ’25) and Caitlyn Walsh (M.Ed. ’25). Not pictured: Terion Cooper (Ed.D. student), Dirk Gavin McCoy
and John Andrew Tarbet (Ed.D. ’24). (Photo: Paulo Basseto)

(Photo: Paulo Basseto)

Reflections From Student Convocation Speakers

During her address to graduates and their families, Jasmine McElroy (Ed.M ’25 Mental Health Counseling, M.A. ’25 Psychological Counseling) reflected on her “newfound purpose in service” as well as her journey to discover her identity and become a mental health counselor.

“Arriving at TC, I encountered an instant opportunity to embrace my imperfect humanity,” shared McElroy, a dedicated mental health professional working with marginalized people. “Although we are all different, we are interconnected with more similarities than some may think. An interest in, and maybe even a passion for, humans connects us. And, we are all ourselves, fundamentally, human. So now it’s time to thrive, graduates. We need self and community care, immense joy, and gratitude to sustain us in making a lasting impact.”

In her address to graduates, their families and the TC community, Aisha Chahal (Ed.D. ’25 Nursing Education) shared a personal anecdote demonstrating the power of words to encourage and to silence. “When you go out into the world as educators and leaders, your words will have tremendous power to uplift your students or people around you in your chosen field, [or] your careless words can silence the minds that could have changed the world,” she said.

“Your students, colleagues or people around you will need you to help them find themselves,” said Chahal, Assistant Professor at Western Connecticut State University. “It is no stretch to say that we have a lot of work to do to get to their voices. But I have no doubt that now we are all fully prepared to impact the generations we will never meet.”

Jude Fomeche (M.A. ’25, Social-Organizational Psychology) called on his peers to reflect on their journeys at TC and shared the same advice his mother gave him a year before he came to the College: help as many people as possible. “It doesn’t have to be profound. It could be as simple as replying thoughtfully to an email or message from a young professional on their hundredth plea for guidance,” said Fomeche, who served as Student Senate President. “Wherever you’re called to help, please answer wholeheartedly — and do so often.”

“We carry with us a fair share of uncertainty about the state of the world, and some of us may feel weary or disheartened. I don’t have all the answers — like you, I’m still figuring it out as I go,” said Fomeche, an executive search professional with a passion for sports recruitment and aspirations to one day open a nonprofit academy for orphaned children in his home country, Cameroon. "But what I do know with absolute certainty is this: whether or not your investment in a TC education has fully borne fruit yet, if you remain resilient, tenacious and unwavering in your optimism, I have every faith that you too will overcome every obstacle in your way."

In the final Convocation ceremony, Vik Joshi (Ph.D. ’25, Philosophy and Education) offered a glimpse into his journey from Mumbai, India, to TC and his deep belief in the power of education. “Being a custodian of the mission of empowerment requires a steadfast commitment to the education of all people,” said Joshi, a 2025 Impact Spotlight honoree. “Education is a human right. As Teachers College graduates, we have the power and shared responsibility to preserve, protect, and defend this right.”

“Today is a day to celebrate, not the dreams deferred or delayed, but the dreams defined, the dreams realized, the dreams achieved,” said Joshi, whose scholarship centers on fortifying democracy through resilience and violence prevention. “As we collectively walk into the world as TC graduates, we will have the power, not only to share our remarkable stories, but also to create educational environments for all learners to share their stories.”

Breaking New Ground: Diversity and First Generation Celebration for Families

Every year, the TC community gathers to celebrate the milestones and achievements of more than 40 graduates who have succeeded in graduating as the first members of their families to earn a higher education degree or identify as scholars from diverse backgrounds.

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Some graduates adorned their caps with decorations related to their families and cultures.

Alex Roman (M.A. ’25, Education Policy) delivered the student address.

Rajashi Ghosh, Associate Professor of Adult Learning and Leadership, welcomed graduates and their families.

Haeny Yoon, Associate Professor of Early Childhood Education, addressed graduates.

A touching performance of "Lift Every Voice and Sing."

President Bailey addressed graduates and their families. 

“As a first-generation immigrant from India, I’ve walked a path filled with both opportunity and uncertainty,” said Rajashi Ghosh, Associate Professor of Adult Learning and Leadership, in her welcoming remarks. “That’s why today, when I look at each of you — first-generation scholars, scholars from diverse and often underrepresented backgrounds — I do not just see graduates. I see trailblazers who’ve built a community, who’ve leaned on others and allowed others to lean on them. I see the power of connection, persistence, and belief. And to the families and loved ones here — you are a vital part of this story. Your encouragement, your sacrifices, your pride — these things matter more than words can capture.”

In addition to heartfelt musical performances and remarks from TC leadership and faculty, the ceremony featured letters of gratitude written from graduates to their families on this momentous occasion.

Following the reading of six letters of gratitude, families and graduates participated in the annual “roll call” in which families stand alongside their graduates in recognition of this milestone.

“Many of us from immigrant and marginalized communities are used to telling opposite stories about survival and endurance — recounting hardships and trauma that populate our experience. But sometimes, we need to be reminded that we are dreamers and adventurers,” said Haeny Yoon, Associate Professor of Early Childhood Education, to graduates and families. “After all, when we are the ‘first’ to do anything, we are shouldering the burden and responsibility of representing the sacrifices that our families made to get us here.”

— Sherri Gardner, Morgan Gilbard and Jacqueline Teschon