About GSLD

Brenda Payan Medina (she/her) is an incoming MA student in Higher and Postsecondary Education with TC’s Department of Organization and Leadership. Brenda’s interest in education and student support stems from her experiences as an undergraduate at the University of Utah, where she graduated in Materials Science and Engineering. At the University of Utah, Brenda involved herself in multiple internships, jobs, and volunteer positions in order to expand her understanding of the student experience, which is something she hopes to continue learning about during her time at TC and in her career. In her free time, Brenda enjoys walks, cooking, and painting.

Primary Areas of Focus:

• Academic & Pre-Professional Organizations
• First-Gen Programming 

Brianna is a second year student in the MA Psychology in Education: General Psychology program! She is from Livingston, NJ and received her BS in Psychology with a minor in substance use disorders from Ramapo College. Her goal is to obtain my PsyD in Clinical Psychology with her research focusing on the perinatal population and families experiencing complex grief. She is very outdoorsy, she loves backpacking and going to the beach! She also enjoys exploring the city and going to concerts.

Sign-up to be paired with Brianna or any other Student Life Ambassador by using this link.

Elle is starting their masters in Psychological Counseling this Fall 2024. They grew up on a farm in West Virginia and spent some time living in France, Italy, and Palestine. They are really looking forward to exploring NYC and making it their new home. They love music and most certainly plan on hitting up some jazz clubs across the city. They also enjoy reading, painting, and sculpting; and they're currently crocheting themself a few scarves for the winter (they did their undergrad in Arizona, so it will be a very welcome change to experience four seasons again). They can’t wait to be at TC and look forward to meeting you all!

Sign-up to be paired with Elle or any other Student Life Ambassador by using this link. 

Jenny Cao is a Fall 2026 Master's student majoring in Counseling and Clinical Psychology at Teachers College. Before this, she graduated from Cornell studying Economics and worked as a Strategy Consultant at a bank for 2 years. She is passionate about mental health awareness, and in her free time enjoys going to her favorite kava bar, goofing around, and enjoying everything flowers. 

Jordan See is a rising second year student in the school counseling program. Some fun facts about him is that while other people have interests, he likes to think that he has obsessions instead. In particular he has three obsession that run his life those being, Pokémon, Maplestory, and Taylor Swift. These are passions that he has had spanning over a decade and he could not imagine his life without them, and he does not foresee a future where he is no longer interested in them. Something he is looking forward to this year is meeting the other SLAs as well as just generally having fun brainstorming together. A recent hobby of his that he has been enjoying in his free time is gardening! He has an asparagus fern, prickly pear cactus, an aloe plant and several more plants that he takes care of!

Sign-up to be paired with Jordan or any other Student Life Ambassador by using this link. 

Kianna (she/her) is a master's student studying Politics & Education at Teachers College, a climate justice advocate, and education and policy researcher from New Mexico. She collaborates with Indigenous public health and environmental organizations, scientists, educators, organizers, legal professionals, and other researchers across Turtle Island to promote Indigenous self-determination and educational equity. Kianna's work is guided by Diné teachings to respectfully bridge collective knowledge and autonomy to address socio-political issues affecting Indigenous communities through her digital content writing, social justice curriculum development at Start:Empowerment, Rights of Nature advocacy at Grand Canyon Trust, and research at the American Institutes for Research and Columbia University.

Sign-up to be paired with Kianna or any other Student Life Ambassador by using this link.

Kiki is a first year M.A. student in the Politics & Education program. They moved here from Madison, WI where they completed their bachelor's degrees in Sociology and Spanish with a minor in Asian American Studies before working two years in Multicultural Student Affairs. They're also a sibling/sister of alpha Kappa Delta Phi. In their free time, they love to cook, try new restaurants, run, and listen to podcasts. They're excited to join the TC community and welcome in others!

Sign-up to be paired with Kiki or any other Student Life Ambassador by using this link.

Liana is a second year Masters student in the School Psychology program. She grew up in San Francisco, California and went to Arizona State University for undergraduate school. Some of her hobbies include going to music festivals/concerts, visits to an art museum, and thrift shopping. She also really enjoys spending time with her dog, Lady. This year she is looking forward to connecting with other graduate students through this position and gaining fieldwork experience through her graduate program.

Sign-up to be paired with Liana or any other Student Life Ambassador by using this link. 

RJ, a first-year student from Carson, California, is pursuing a master’s in Education Policy. A recent graduate of Pepperdine University, RJ has found pleasure in organizing community programs with Student Government, Black Student Association, and Residential Life just to name a few. RJ is passionate about addressing systemic equity issues in education, tackling disparities in curriculum, resources, and access to quality education. RJ looks forward to working with various clubs and departments at TC. He enjoys playing the Nintendo Switch, trying new foods, and traveling— having visited 15 countries through study abroad programs!

Ther (she/her) is an incoming MA student in TC’s Clinical Psychology Masters program - Psychology in Education: General Psychology. Coming all the way from the Philippines, Ther is passionate about improving mental health outcomes, especially in her home country. She obtained her undergraduate degree from her country’s state university, University of the Philippines. After doing multiple research, clinical, and volunteer stints in her undergraduate years, she decided to pursue graduate studies at Teachers College to further her career in the field of Clinical Psychology. Aside from pursuing her academic and research interests, Ther enjoys exploring her creativity through many hobbies! From graphic design, to sewing clothes, to writing, to video editing, to interior design, and many more, Ther enjoys anything that could tickle her creativity. One of these creative interests is doing social media work and promotions - something she is excited to explore further as GSLD’s Fellow focused on digital engagement!

Primary Areas of Focus:

• Weekly Newsletters
• Social Media and Marketing Strategies

Megan is a first-year masters student in the Clinical Psychology program at Teachers College, Columbia University. After completing her bachelor's degree majoring in social anthropology at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, Megan returned to the U.S. and worked as a Montessori educator at the upper elementary level in central Florida for five years, earning her Florida Educator Certificate and Montessori Upper Elementary Teaching Certificate. Megan is passionate about psychology, education, language and writing. In her spare time, Megan enjoys practicing yoga and sharing her passion for mindfulness and movement as a part-time yoga instructor. She also enjoys exploring the mind-body connection through practicing Brazilian jiu jitsu and archery, finding peace and focus in this ancient art. Megan's research interests include flow states and experiences, the healing power of movement, psychosomatic interventions for anxiety disorders, and resilience.

Joel (he/him) is studying an EdM in Language Use through the Applied Linguistics program at Teachers College. Before coming to TC he was a full-time proofreader for six years, specializing in technical language as part of a contract with the U.S. Patent Office. He has earned a BA from New York University in Linguistics, with minors in Music and Creative Writing, and an MA in Linguistics from the University of Hong Kong, writing a dissertation to document an endangered dialect of Cantonese. Overall he has lived overseas for 2 ½ years.

Joel is still defining his research interests and is usually happy to talk about working papers or presentations. He enjoys attending events through his department on conversation analysis and participating in the language and technology working group. He always recommends to work with the communities where you belong. On that note, he is also involved with planning events through QueerTC, the LGBTQ+ affinity group on campus. For fun, Joel plays video games, explores coffee shops around the city, and sings in local piano bars. His areas of specialization include technical aspects of writing like grammar and structure, voice, and style — plus he owns a copy of the APA manual!

Kelly (she/they) is a doctoral candidate in the Applied Linguistics program at Teachers College. She has been a writing consultant for almost ten years at both the undergraduate and graduate level. She specializes in qualitative research, APA style, phases of the writing and research process, legal English, and ESL writing. For her doctoral research, she uses conversation analysis to study interaction in writing centers. As a former Fulbright grantee (Ecuador, 2016-2017), Kelly has taught ESL/EFL for over ten years in the US and abroad. She currently teaches at Teachers College, Columbia University School of Professional Studies, New York University, and Brooklyn Law School. In her free time, Kelly enjoys reading, running, bouldering, and learning languages. 

Born and raised in Queens, NY, Denise Boneta joins Teachers College as the Director of Graduate Student Life and Development. Denise is a facilitator and student affairs practitioner with experience in social justice education, orientation, commuter affairs, and leadership development. With a focus on infusing social justice principles into advising and programming, Denise strives to bring intentional reflection and dialogue into co-curricular spaces. Prior to Teachers College, Denise has worked at Hofstra University, Barnard College, New York University, and UMass Amherst. Denise holds an M.Ed in Social Justice Education from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and a B.S. in Childhood/Special Education from New York University.

Denise currently serves as the New York Metro Representative on the NASPA Region 2 Board. In her spare time, Denise enjoys visiting the Catskills, frequenting a Broadway show, and spending time with friends and family. 

Alana Crosby has been working in Graduate Student Life and Development since 2018. Alana holds an M.A. in Higher Education & Student Affairs from New York University. Before starting at TC, Alana had full-time positions and internships in student affairs at various schools within NYU as well as the New Jersey Institute of Technology and Baruch College. Alana grew up in Reno, Nevada, and studied psychology at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. 

Alana enjoys people-watching in Washington Square Park with her friends, reading fantasy novels, and eating the fluffiest croissants from the Hungarian Pastry Shop near TC's campus.

Primary areas of focus: 

• Belonging & Community Programming
• Identity-Based & Social Student Organizations

Meredith Schuman (she/her) has an MFA in Creative Writing from Brooklyn College, where she studied Poetry with Allen Ginsberg and Lou Asekoff. Her work has been published in several small literary journals including Mudfish and B City.  She has a BA in Theater from Binghamton University and spent a semester at The Imperial College of London. She was an English Instructor at NYU Tandon School of Engineering for many years and served as Graduate ESL Program Director. Her experience includes teaching literature, expository and creative writing, and public speaking in various schools and centers, with a focus on adult ESL populations.  She is an avid photographer, enthusiastic theater-goer, BBC binger, and obsessive knitter.