Dear Students,
One of the things I love most about living with teenagers is learning their language. For instance, last night I texted a photo of myself with a group of friends to my older son, Javier, and he texted back, “Squad up!” It made me laugh.
I was teaching Group Dynamics on Zoom back in 2020 when I mentioned that someone had “cast shade” on a fellow team member. Shari Bowen, now an S-OP program alum, came on mic and said kindly, “Uh, Dr. Brazaitis, your boys are going to destroy you if they hear you say that. It’s ‘throw shade.’” (I remain forever grateful to you, Shari.)
This summer, as my family and I played a board game, my spouse and two sons teased me relentlessly about how competitive I can get during the most trivial competitions. My face must have betrayed my hurt because my younger son, Mateo, said, “Hey, not too much on Mom!” Helpfully, he provided a translation: “It means it’s too much on your shoulders, Mom. We’re giving you more than your share. You don’t deserve it.” (Thank you, Mateo!)
At the beginning of the school year, Mateo told his dad and me that he was struggling in AP Physics. The concepts were hard, the teacher lectured quickly, and Mateo said he often felt confused. When he brought home his report card recently with an A in Physics I was surprised. “I thought Physics was giving you trouble, " I said. “It was, " he answered, "but my lab partner hard carried me, Mom.” This made me laugh too. I imagined one of Mateo’s sweet classmates giving all 6 feet of him a piggyback ride around the Physics classroom.
TC’s hallways have been bustling this fall. I’ve been heartened by the sights and sounds of all of you going to class, chatting, studying, and hanging out with each other. I’ve found our classroom discussions to be engaging and rich, and I’ve enjoyed our advising sessions, which allow me to get to know our newer students better and to catch up with our returning students. I feel deeply grateful for our S-OP learning community and our shared endeavors in the greatest city in the world, as the trees are just starting to put on their delightful autumnal show of crimson, pink, and golden hues.
And yet, it has been hard to be completely content or at ease, given what’s happening in the world. The loss of lives in Israel and Gaza, and the anti-Semitism and anti-Muslim hate spewed worldwide, including right here in New York, are frightening and heartbreaking. We want our Israeli and Jewish students to feel safe and supported here at TC. We want our Arab and Muslim students to feel equally safe and supported. We want everyone in our learning community to feel safe, supported, inspired, and energized to learn together and to help work toward just solutions to the most pressing problems in our organizations and in our world.
I don’t have easy answers. No one does, it seems. But I know that it’s “Too much on you,” and “Too much on us.” It can feel so difficult to study for that exam or work on that group project—or even to unwind and choose a great binge-watch on Netflix—when we are confronted with yet another war on our small and troubled planet.
I also know this: We are a strong, smart and caring community, and we show up for each other in times of need. Please know that all of my S-OP staff and faculty colleagues care about each of you, and we are committed to helping further our shared task of learning together with rigor and compassion. If you are struggling this semester, please reach out to one of us—or many of us—so we can help. Please reach out to each other as much as you can and offer one another your support, your empathy, your class notes, a cup of coffee, a funny TikTok, a warm smile.
Now is the time to “hard carry” each other. Let’s continue to move through this semester with strength and kindness – together.
Warmly,
Current Student Profile
Jessica Green is a second-year part time M.A. student in the Social-Organizational Psychology program. After obtaining her B.A. in Psychology with a minor in Economics from Barnard College, Jessica worked at Goldman Sachs and Bridgewater Associates, focusing on talent development and assessment, pipeline development, diversity, equity and inclusion, and campus recruiting. Since 2020, Jessica has worked at Insight Partners, where she spent her first two years running lateral recruiting for the firm, and she now sits in a Human Capital Business Partner seat. During her first few months at Insight Partners, she realized that she wanted to attend the MA program in an effort to enhance her knowledge and skills, and to bring change and transformation to her organization. Jessica is particularly passionate about bringing systemic change to organizations to help them transform their DEI strategies and to help emerging leaders uncover their potential through behavioral change. Coaching is a potential career path that Jessica is interested in upon graduating from Teachers College.
As a mixed-race woman who has operated in predominantly white spaces for her entire academic and professional career, Jessica has seen first-hand how institutions and organizations can be inherently biased. In an effort to make an impact on others' experiences navigating from academic spaces to professional ones, she has been dedicated to supporting underserved communities by working with The Waterside School, a co-educational PK-5th Grade independent school in Stamford, CT that serves children and families
Outside of school and work, Jessica enjoys spending time with friends and family, getting lost in new neighborhoods and exploring the restaurant scene in New York City, trying new recipes, and planning her wedding with her fiancé.
Please feel free to connect with Jessica on LinkedIn.
Alumni Profile
Travis Hines is a proud S-OP MA alum and a Captain in the United States Army. He currently serves at the US Military Academy at West Point as a Tactical Officer, where he teaches, advises, and coaches over 120 cadets to be future leaders of character. Travis loves his current role, where he can directly apply theories and frameworks from the program to his work with cadets.
Travis joined the Army in 2007, serving 10 years in the Army's elite 75th Ranger Regiment. He completed 7 deployments across Iraq and Afghanistan, conducting over 250 special operations missions against multiple terrorist organizations. While serving as a Ranger, he learned the value of discipline, grit, and the power of camaraderie for high-performing teams.
Travis found his passion for coaching and mentoring tomorrow's leaders while serving as a Commander of a Company in the Army's Officer Candidate School. Travis then served as the Commander of the Experimental Force Company, where he led the development of modernization of equipment and tactics under the Army's Futures Command.
Travis married the love of his life, Maria. They have two children together and he never misses nightly reading with his daughter. He is an avid fitness enthusiast and hopes to continue his education with TC through a doctorate program (AEGIS).
Travis Hines is a proud S-OP MA alum and a Captain in the United States Army. He currently serves at the US Military Academy at West Point as a Tactical Officer, where he teaches, advises, and coaches over 120 cadets to be future leaders of character. Travis loves his current role, where he can directly apply theories and frameworks from the program to his work with cadets.
Travis joined the Army in 2007, serving 10 years in the Army's elite 75th Ranger Regiment. He completed 7 deployments across Iraq and Afghanistan, conducting over 250 special operations missions against multiple terrorist organizations. While serving as a Ranger, he learned the value of discipline, grit, and the power of camaraderie for high-performing teams.
Travis found his passion for coaching and mentoring tomorrow's leaders while serving as a Commander of a Company in the Army's Officer Candidate School. Travis then served as the Commander of the Experimental Force Company, where he led the development of modernization of equipment and tactics under the Army's Futures Command.
Travis married the love of his life, Maria. They have two children together and he never misses nightly reading with his daughter. He is an avid fitness enthusiast and hopes to continue his education with TC through a doctorate program (AEGIS).
Recommended Readings/Listenings
This podcast from Hidden Brain called, "The Secret to Great Teams", features Psychologist Anita Woolley who discusses specific characteristics of the most successful teams.
This article focuses on how workplace mental health has changed from before, during, and after the pandemic. Based on the research presented, the authors have found that the future of mental health at work is safety, community, and a healthy organizational culture.