Meeting new people and building community can be intimidating. But TC’s alumni network of 100,000 across the globe can help — and we’re here to tell you about the friendships that prove it. Below, meet just a handful of alumni who have found joy and purpose through the numerous opportunities available through the TC alumni network. 

Johanna Brody (M.A. ’11) and Julia Gelormino (M.A. ’12) 

San Francisco, Calif.

How They Met: As students in the Elementary Education master's program, where they quickly realized their shared tendency to embrace challenges with passion made them a great team. Both from California, Brody and Gelormino remained close friends after leaving TC Way and moving to the Bay Area. 

“When you go to Teachers College,” says Brody, “TC becomes part of your lifelong identity.”

How They Stay Connected: Helping the College’s Alumni Relations team bring members of the TC community together in the Bay Area for fun networking opportunities, meaningful volunteer experiences and more. 

Their involvement began 12 years ago, when Brody, navigating a new chapter in both her personal and professional lives, was inspired to reconnect with the Teachers College community. Always looking for an opportunity to spend time with Gelormino, Brody at the time suggested they attend a local TC alumni event together. 

The evening sparked a shift for Gelormino. “I remembered why I originally wanted to go to Teachers College. I remembered why the people I met at Teachers College were great, and I remembered why I needed to connect with the people who went to Teachers College who were also Californians,” she explains. “When we started getting more involved, we thought helping organize these events and connect people was a way to give back.”

The San Francisco group is just one of 18 and counting regional alumni groups that reflect the grassroots nature of what it means to be part of the TC community. 

Deborah Hazell (M.A. ’14), Aruna Thanabalasingam (M.A. ’93) and Ellen Perlstein (M.A. ’79)

New York, N.Y. 

How They Met: Through the College’s Silver Roundtable, which brings together alumni in or approaching retirement for social and lifelong learning opportunities. For Hazell, who is “very intentional about meeting interesting people,” the Silver Roundtable “seemed like a great opportunity to mingle with people at a similar stage of their lives and with an area of commonality,” says Hazell. “We just knew that there was more to be shared with one another....and the initial thread that is our Teachers College connection has led to lovely new friendships that have become stronger with every meeting."

Since the Silver Roundtable's inception in 2025, alumni have enjoyed hands-on art workshops, exclusive financial planning sessions, a historical walking tour and more — offering the unique opportunity to bond with fellow TC alumni. 

“It was a good bridge. At different points in your life, you seek different types of friendships,” says Thanabalasingam, whose career in human resources familiarized her with the importance of staying busy during retirement. “[Building friendships at this stage of life] is a different meaningful experience, and I’m a strong believer of continuous learning, both professionally and emotionally in terms of how much you can learn from people.” 

How They Stay Connected: In addition to attending the College’s Silver Roundtable gatherings and other events, the alumnae regularly enjoy museum exhibits throughout the city, lunch and more over the course of what has evolved into a meaningful friendship. “I have made more new friends this year than ever in my life,” says Perlstein, who feels grateful to the TC alumni community for connecting her with her “dynamic and engaging” new friends. “When you’re working you barely have time to see the few friends you have….[Now] my life is busier with more friends than ever before, and TC is the gift that keeps on giving after 50 years.”