Changed for the Better

Changed for the Better: episode 40

Karema Brown has an educator's heart. Her mission is to do all she can to improve the school experience for her kids. This is her story of service, how she processed her complicated roles as a Black woman, educator, and daughter of the badge, and how the dance studio taught her that vulnerability is a strength to be cherished.

Changed for the Better

Changed for the Better: episode 36, part 2

In part two of Episode 36, Nathalie Alcime (class of 2007) and I talk about how her time in the dance studio helped to give her more confidence in her own skin when it came to dance performance. As her confidence grew, she learned how to walk proudly in her experience, even when she made mistakes. Learning to fail forward became the key to her standing up to the looming imposter syndrome that often get in the way of our success.

Blog

Master jack

We have all heard the phrase, “jack of all trades, master of none.” I’ve always taken that as a limiting statement, and I often find myself applying it to my life experience. Read about something that inspired me to just enjoy the ride.

Changed for the Better

Changed for the Better: Episode 35

Darian Garner, the valedictorian of the class of 2013. A perfect blend of brilliance, kindness and humility, Darian graciously shared her stories about navigating the challenges of being Black in an Ivy League school, losing her mom, becoming an actuary, and growing into her independence.

Changed for the Better

Changed for the Better: episode 29

Jessica Butler (La Presidenta) was tiny force of nature in Thespians. Taking notice of our drama club in middle school, she made an instant decision: she would lead the troupe in her senior year. Challenge accepted. In this episode, we discuss mentorship, embracing your ability in the face of imposter syndrome, and learning how to "figure it out."

Changed for the Better

Changed for the Better, episode 25

Chizi Duru is a content creator/influencer/entrepreneur/media personality. With over 500,000 followers, her YouTube channel promotes her mission to create a space for women to love themselves authentically so they may step into their power. Read on to see how her time in the dance studio helped her to overcome her fears and inspire her trajectory towards the creation of her social media empire.

Changed for the Better

Changed for the Better: the power of arts in education, episode 12

Special college edition! Tom Dheere is a fellow Montclair State alum (class of 1993!). We chatted about college, his prolific career as a voiceover professional (aka The VO Strategist), and how taking care of your mental health is paramount to any measure of success.

Geriatric Gymnast

Geriatric Gymnastics 5

How do we build the courage to do hard things? Do we see ourselves as competent and able to tackle the challenges? In this chapter of Geriatric Gymnastics, I discuss how gaining personal experience and developing a strong support system puts us on an upward trajectory for molding the best version of ourselves.