What were the moments that made you smile, instances that brought you joy or accomplishments and success that buoyed your spirits this past year? Your joyful memory is a reminder of the bright spots within our community and important to highlight. A collection of these positive experiences are below. If you have a moment of joy that you would like to share in an upcoming issue, please let us know!
Alan Gao, IRT ’25
Here’s a photo of me making dumplings with my family. Every time I go home, we make dumplings together and it brings me a lot of joy, especially because food is an important love language for my family.
Imani Barnes, IRT ’25
My moment of joy would be after submitting applications that I took time to finish Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom; I had put it on the back burner since the summer. It’s one of my favorite games and was a nice way to relax and reconnect with myself outside of academia.
Laura Chávez-Moreno, IRT ’02, ’10
A joyful moment was presenting my book at the University of Cambridge this past November.
Elizabeth Gil, IRT ’11
Over the last several months, I have presented a keynote for an Indonesian university and, more recently, facilitated a session for a local community-based organization that has served New York City for 200 years. Both instances, where I shared what I have learned through my research, reminded me of why I do what I do. Bringing to the forefront the voices of caregivers and communities is essential if educational leaders and institutions are to effectively serve students and families.
2025 also saw the start of a two-year community-based project supported by The Bronx Research Institute for Community Solutions (BRICS) at Fordham University. In partnership with Read Alliance (READ), a literacy and leadership organization, this study seeks to evaluate the long-term impact of Read Alliance’s programming on Teen Leaders, young students (READers), and school communities. We will assess how participation in READ influences Teen Leaders’ academic and career trajectories, enhances early literacy outcomes for young students, and influences student growth as observed by teachers and school leaders/admin. Read more on the community-based project.
Brooke Huynh, IRT ’17, ’25
A joyful moment this past year was when my rugby team, Providence Women’s Rugby in Rhode Island, won the championship in our union. This victory means we now advance to compete against a wider pool of teams, with the possibility of reaching the National Championships. It was a huge accomplishment for our club and a personally meaningful milestone—one that reminded me how powerful teamwork, persistence, and community can be, both on and off the field.
Thank you to all current scholars and alumni who shared their moments of joy – it was wonderful to hear your news and lighten the start of the new year with your moments!
Institute for Recruitment of Teachers 