Judy Batalion is the author of The Light of Days, a book that began as a personal exploration in 2007 while she was living in London and reflecting on her Jewish identity and the legacy of her Holocaust-survivor grandparents. Interested...

Journalist and author Charles Fishman credits his former Washington Post editor, Fred Barbash, with teaching him one of the most important lessons of his career: always include “the good stuff.” Early on, while covering the Challenger...

Charles Fishman, journalist and co-author (with Brian Grazer) of A Curious Mind, argues that curiosity is an underrated—indeed essential—quality in a fast-changing world. He distinguishes true curiosity (showing up, asking people,...

Charles Fishman, journalist and author of One Giant Leap: The Impossible Mission That Flew Us to the Moon, reflects on the Apollo program and its enduring relevance today. He emphasizes three often-overlooked truths: how impossible...

Omer Bartov is a professor of history at Brown University, where he holds the chair in Holocaust and Genocide Studies. A historian for more than four decades, he began his career by challenging the postwar German myth of a “clean”...

Omer Bartov is a professor at Brown University and a leading historian of the Holocaust and genocide. Reflecting on his intellectual formation, Bartov recalls the influence of Saul (Shaul) Friedländer, his teacher at Tel Aviv University...

Nadine Strossen, senior fellow with FIRE and emerita professor of constitutional law at New York Law School, as well as former president of the ACLU, has dedicated her life to defending civil liberties and human rights. In recent years,...

UMass history professor Samuel J. Redman credits his fifth-grade teacher, Judy Ronnie, with sparking his lifelong passion for history. Growing up in St. Paul, Minnesota, he vividly remembers her classroom project in which each class...

Drexel University Professor Dr. Girija Kaimal reflects on the profound impact teachers have in shaping a student’s confidence and sense of self. She recalls how one professor recognized her strength in theory—something she hadn’t seen...

Lucan Way, professor of political science at the University of Toronto, co-authored Revolution and Dictatorship (2022) with Steven Levitsky, examining why revolutionary dictatorships such as the Soviet Union, China, Cuba, and Vietnam...

Professor Lucan Way explained that his book Revolution of Dictatorship has roots in the influence of his early teachers. In particular, his 8th-grade English teacher, Brian Bond, encouraged him to explore his own interests, which led...

Dr. Girija Kaimal, professor and chair of the Creative Arts Therapies department at Drexel University, emphasizes the importance of creative expression as a natural human capacity. She recalls how a single discouraging comment can...

Dr. Girija Kaimal, professor and chair of the Creative Arts Therapies department, reflects on the fundamental role of creativity in human life. She explains that unlike most species, humans possess imagination—the ability to create,...

Dr. Gladys Labas reflects on the powerful impact of one of her high school teachers, Mr. Moe from Central High School in Connecticut. As an English language learner at a time when there were no bilingual or ESL programs, she was placed...

Dr. Gladys Labas reflects on her groundbreaking career in education, beginning as a bilingual elementary teacher in New Britain and Meriden, Connecticut, and rising to become the first Latina woman to lead an urban high school in the...

Dr. Miguel Cardona, former U.S. Secretary of Education and now president of Cardona Solutions, emphasizes the urgent need to defend and invest in public education at a time when it is under threat. Speaking from his childhood classroom...

Dr. Miguel Cardona reflects on the life-changing impact of teachers, emphasizing how educators shape not only individual students but entire families. He recalls three influential teachers in his own journey: Gary O'Neal, his...

Dr. Miguel Cardona, the 12th U.S. Secretary of Education, explains the federal government's critical yet limited role in education. Drawing from his experience as a teacher, district leader, state commissioner, and federal official, he...

Dr. Miguel Cardona was the 12th US Secretary of Education. In this video he discusses the benefits of speaking more than one language. "I know as a Puerto Rican, as someone who learned Spanish before English ... Remember, being bilingual...

Lori Shorr reflects on the lasting impact of her junior year English teacher, Mr. Monk, at Bethel Park High School. As a first-generation college student from Pittsburgh, she had never read Shakespeare before taking his course. Mr. Monk...

Steve Parks reflects on his experience as a first-generation college student, describing how fear of being wrong kept him silent in class. That changed in graduate school when he studied with the renowned professor Gayatri Spivak. After...

Steve Parks, professor of English at the University of Virginia and director of the Democratic Futures Project, believes education should serve two key purposes: teaching academic content and preparing students to...

In this heartfelt reflection, Serbian activist Srdja Popovic shares how mentorship and a lifelong commitment to learning shaped his life. He credits several key figures—including political mentor Zoran Đinđić, musical inspirations Milan...

Srdja Popovic, born in 1973 in Belgrade (then Yugoslavia), is a prominent activist best known for helping lead the student movement that overthrew Serbian dictator Slobodan Milošević in 2000. Since then, he has dedicated his life to...