Dear Students,
Last month I watched my son, Javier, play Benny in his university’s production of the Broadway musical, RENT. Of course, watching your child sing, act, and dance their heart out is always a parent’s thrill, but honestly, my son aside, the whole production touched my heart and filled me with joy.
Watching a passionate, talented, disciplined, diverse group of young people work hard and collaborate well was deeply moving and also just plain fun. I felt heartened that the themes of the 1996 show – acceptance, inclusion, activism, fighting poverty, homophobia and ignorance – are resonant with my son and his peers in 2023. The show is dark in some ways. There is illness and death, homelessness and addiction. But, it is also exuberantly hopeful and the characters are energized by their relationships with one another, to fight against injustice and to support and care for each other in difficult and uncertain times.
Even if you are unfamiliar with the show RENT, you might know one of its popular songs, Seasons of Love. An excerpt of the lyrics are:
525,600 minutes
525,600 moments so dear
525,600 minutes
How do you measure, measure a year?
In daylights, in sunsets
In midnights, in cups of coffee
In inches, in miles
In laughter, in strife
525,600 minutes
How do you measure a year in a life?
How about love?
Measure in love
Seasons of love
So, how would we measure our year together in S-OP?
In classes?
In papers?
In study groups?
In UBR exams?
In emails?
In OHDCC events?
In conversations about the GRC?
In the times an S-OP professor has said “It depends"?
I hope we measure it in all our times of learning, collaborating, reading, discovering, risking, writing, asking, sharing, trying, listening, braving, laughing, and, of course, love – love for our shared work, for our shared community and for our shared world.
I speak for all my faculty and staff colleagues when I tell you that you, our students, are the best of us. We measure the year in our work with you. We are grateful for you and keenly hopeful for our upcoming new year together. We wish you rest, relaxation, peace and joy over the winter break. See you in 2024!
Warmly,
Current Student Profile
D'Artagnan Luc Elliott is an energetic leader, experienced in multicultural team management and cross-cultural consultation. Originally from Texas, D'Artagnan graduated summa cum laude from Texas State University with a BA in Cultural Anthropology. During his final year there, he received the 2022 Individual Achievement Award, the 2022 Multicultural Organization Award, and was the 2022 Outstanding Undergraduate Student in Anthropology.
Following undergraduate, D'Artagnan applied his experience in theater and consultation to Walt Disney World as a performer. Later, he joined the Diversity & Inclusion Team, as well as the Safety & Wellness Team. While currently pursuing his MA in Organizational Psychology, D'Artagnan is working at the International Center for Cooperation and Conflict Resolution.
You can connect with D'Artagnan via email. He is happy to chat over a hot cup of chai about anything relating to anthropology, conflict resolution, Disney, or the Roman Republic/Empire!
Alumni Profile
Shradha Prakash graduated from the MA Program in 2015. She attended TC as an international student and loved the professional connections and friendships made there. Shradha interned with Deloitte while in the program and upon graduating, she joined Boston Consulting Group's Organization Design practice.
Born in India, Shradha started her education in Computer Science. She quickly grew interested in Human Resource Management working with Infosys in India, where she led their large-scale organization transformation efforts. As a passionate leader, Shradha has worked in the Organization Design and Talent Transformation space across several industries and geographies. Currently she is a VP of Talent Management at Prudential. In this role, Shradha helps organizations build talent strategy, execute on organizational capabilities, and align talent with critical roles. She is also an executive coach for high potential senior leaders.
Shradha frequently publishes writing in blogs and magazines, and she has been a keynote speaker and panelist at numerous professional conferences. She lives in New Jersey with her husband, preteen son and a crazy dog. She loves reading, cooking, and spending time with her family hiking and playing board games.
Shradha Prakash graduated from the MA Program in 2015. She attended TC as an international student and loved the professional connections and friendships made there. Shradha interned with Deloitte while in the program and upon graduating, she joined Boston Consulting Group's Organization Design practice.
Born in India, Shradha started her education in Computer Science. She quickly grew interested in Human Resource Management working with Infosys in India, where she led their large-scale organization transformation efforts. As a passionate leader, Shradha has worked in the Organization Design and Talent Transformation space across several industries and geographies. Currently she is a VP of Talent Management at Prudential. In this role, Shradha helps organizations build talent strategy, execute on organizational capabilities, and align talent with critical roles. She is also an executive coach for high potential senior leaders.
Shradha frequently publishes writing in blogs and magazines, and she has been a keynote speaker and panelist at numerous professional conferences. She lives in New Jersey with her husband, preteen son and a crazy dog. She loves reading, cooking, and spending time with her family hiking and playing board games.