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At Sarah Lawrence College, your education is built through close, sustained collaboration with faculty. SLC students benefit from working with professors who are part mentor, part hype squad, part co-conspirator in your deep-dive obsession with [insert niche topic here].
In each episode of SLC Transcript Review, student–faculty team-ups spill the tea on the classes they shared, the projects they ran with, and how it all actually went down. It’s honest. It’s funny. It’s unexpectedly moving. Spoiler: like SLC, it’s never boring.
Diego & Nick (Architecture)
From his first year at Sarah Lawrence, Diego Jaime has pursued architecture as a way of understanding how people live together in the world. In Nick Roseboro’s interdisciplinary courses, Diego found a mentor whose wide-ranging work, spanning topics like the Sears catalog house and railways in Senegal, mirrored his own curiosity. Through site visits and global inquiry, their conversations reflect a core Sarah Lawrence aim: educating world citizens — students who approach fields like architecture not simply as design, but as a lens on human experience.
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Tyler & Jerri (Art History)
If you want a college that encourages you to explore your interests, there’s no place better than Sarah Lawrence. In this episode, learn how a class with Jerri Dodds transformed Tyler Holm into an art history student, and how Tyler’s conference projects have shaped Jerri’s teaching. Just two amazing people, talking about the things they love. Enjoy!
Related reading
- Art History
- Conference Work
- Disciplines & Programs of Study
- The Sarah Lawrence College Podcast: Jerri Dodds on Medieval Iberia
Lilly & Rue (Art of Teaching MSED)
Jerusha (Rue) Beckerman, director of the Art of Teaching master’s program, and graduate student Lilly Rushe reflect on a teaching philosophy rooted in holistic, child-centered education. Enrolled in SLC’s five-year program, where students begin graduate study in their senior year and earn both a BA and an MSEd, Lilly gained classroom experience from the start. In her first semester, Lilly worked closely with young children alongside Rue at the College’s on-campus Early Childhood Center — an experience that shaped how she listens, learns, and advocates as an educator. At Sarah Lawrence, teaching is both an intellectual and creative practice, and the process of learning never ends.
Related reading
- MSEd in the Art of Teaching
- Combined Bachelor’s/Master’s Degree Programs
- The Children, Childhood, and Education Collaborative
- The Early Childhood Center
Lauryn & Drew (Biology)
When Lauryn Dunn first came to Sarah Lawrence, she planned to focus on history, but a lecture course with Drew Cressman revealed in her a surprisingly deep interest in biology. In this episode of SLC Transcript Review, Lauryn and Drew discuss pop quizzes, building confidence, conference projects, and summer research opportunities. Lauryn is the 2025 recipient of the Ian Lipkin ’74 Science Prize at SLC.
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Dahlia & John (Dance)
In this episode, Dahlia Shepherd and dance program director John Jasperse ’85 explore how dance at Sarah Lawrence connects creative practice with professional experience. Through the Open Performance program, Dahlia collaborated with visiting artists, gaining a behind-the-scenes view of how a dance company works. Alongside studying movement theory, creating choreography, and analyzing performance, she found a strong sense of community and purpose—culminating in what she describes as “seeing the birth of something,” bringing an original work to life from concept to performance.
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Anastasiia & Tristana (Italian)
Arriving at Sarah Lawrence with interests in psychology and computer science, Anastasiia Valchuk found an unexpected bridge between them through studying Italian. Guided by Italian faculty member Tristana Rorandelli’s belief that language learning requires courage and resilience, she became an Italian peer tutor, building confidence through persistence. Their collaboration reflects the reciprocal nature of mentorship at Sarah Lawrence, where students and faculty challenge and inspire one another—growing together across fields and perspectives.
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Alex & Neil (Literature)
Poetry was a world Alex Karger didn’t know she was missing, but enrolling in Neil Arditi’s literature courses showed her how poems can change your life. Listen in on their discussion of Percy Bysshe Shelley’s poem “Mont Blanc,” how to become a skilled reader, and, ultimately, how to have a richer conversation with yourself about what it means to be and do good in the world.
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Laina & John (Music)
In this episode, Laina Shokum and music faculty member John Yannelli explore how collaboration and experimentation shape the study of music at Sarah Lawrence. Through their ongoing work together, Laina expanded her practice in sound design and performance, premiering an original piece as an immersive surround sound experience. She also organized a student-led music and arts festival, gaining hands-on experience in fundraising, production, and event management. Together, John and Laina reflect on the balance of creative vision and practical skill—and how sustained mentorship helps transform ambitious ideas into fully realized work.
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Jillian & Roy (Philosophy)
In this conversation, Jillian Wickens-Johnson and her professor, Roy Ben-Shai (philosophy), reflect on their work together at Sarah Lawrence — from first-year studies on women philosophers to an advanced seminar on Wittgenstein’s Tractatus. Roy’s courses emphasize close reading, collaborative discussion, and the discipline to seek to understand before critiquing. With Roy’s mentorship, Jillian shaped an academic path that bridges philosophy, art history, and political theory. Together, they exemplify SLC’s shared process of inquiry that continues beyond graduation with an expanding community of students, faculty, and alumni.
Related reading
Hannah & Maia (Psychology)
Don’t worry, you don’t need to know how to spell psychoneuroendocrinology to study it.
In this episode, student Hannah Lormore and psychology faculty Maia Pujara dive into the intersections of women’s health, cultural influences, and mind–body connections. This conversation shows what’s possible when faculty really get to know you and your academic goals. With one-on-one meetings every other week with seminar professors like Maia, Hannah was able to refine her interests, try classes outside her comfort zone, and build a curriculum around her career aspirations. If you want real face time with professors and the freedom to shape what you study, this is what that looks like.
Related reading
Juliana & Merideth (Physics)
Creative writing? Physics? Why not both?
Juliana Worden came from an arts-focused high school and had never taken physics before. That didn’t stop her from enrolling in Merideth Frey’s classes (including a seminar on nuclear magnetic resonance), writing a paper on quantum computing, and exploring chaos theory as both a scientific discipline and a storytelling tool. With individualized attention and conference projects designed around student interests, potentially intimidating subjects become exciting opportunities. Professors help students find the edges — where disciplines overlap and new ideas live — and support them in contributing something genuinely original.
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Lauren & Meghan (SLC EmbeddEd)
Lauren Clark came to Sarah Lawrence ready to study film, but SLC’s emphasis on experiential learning inspired her to expand her horizons. That exploration didn’t distract from her goals; it sharpened them. Through experiential learning and SLC EmbeddEd courses with faculty member Meghan Jablonski, Lauren learned how to ace interviews, practiced professional skills, and turned curiosity into real-world experience, leading to an internship at Paramount Studios/Nickelodeon. It’s a reminder that at Sarah Lawrence, what you study connects directly to what you do next.
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Emma & Parthiban (Sociology)
Leaving a small town for college can feel overwhelming, but for Emma McKibben, the Sarah Lawrence community — and her don, Parthiban Muniandy — made all the difference in introducing her to a truly global education. Together, they talk migration studies, study abroad, community engagement, and how taking charge in the classroom builds confidence.
Related reading
Arielle & John (Visual Arts)
At Sarah Lawrence, you’ll have the freedom to create what you want, and if you’re an artist, you’ll learn from and work right alongside the professionals. With her don John O’Connor, student Arielle Spivack discusses how you can synthesize interests into a creative practice, and how generative it can be to work with students and faculty across disciplines.
Related reading
- Cognitive and Brain Science
- The Donning System
- Filmmaking and Moving Image Arts
- Visual and Studio Arts
Allie & David (Writing)
Signed up for a random class just to fill credits ➝ accidentally found your passion? David Hollander’s fiction workshop flipped the script just like that for Allie Zapson. All the while, Allie’s courage to ask the tough questions — “Why are we reading this?” — lit a spark for David as an educator. From group conferences to wild reading lists, this is what happens when you stay curious.
Related reading
Nana-Ama & Carolyn (Writing)
Born in the Bronx and raised in Ghana, Nana-Ama Donkor came to Sarah Lawrence through the Bronx Community College partnership unsure of what to expect. What she found was a mentor who saw her potential right away. As Nana-Ama’s don, Carolyn Ferrell ’84 encouraged her to speak up in their fiction writing class, get involved on campus, and show up to college events where ideas, art, and activism intersect. This conversation is about the ripple effects of mentorship: how one supportive relationship can lead to another, fostering connection, confidence, and a sense of belonging.
Related reading
Hayley, Paige & Heather (Writing MFA)
Paige Ackerson-Kiely, director of Sarah Lawrence’s MFA in Writing program, and nonfiction faculty member Heather Harpham recognized early on that Hayley Burgess had something special. Heather’s approach centers on nurturing what is already alive in a student’s work, a philosophy reflected in her course Cells and Stars: Writing the Body, where class often moved outside and writing in nature helped Hayley feel more grounded and embodied. Through close, one-on-one faculty conferences, Hayley gained the confidence to develop her voice, supported by mentorships that value patience, trust, and discovery.
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About Sarah Lawrence College
Founded in 1926, Sarah Lawrence is a prestigious, coeducational liberal arts college that consistently ranks among the leading liberal arts colleges in the country. Sarah Lawrence is known for its pioneering approach to education, rich history of impassioned intellectual and civic engagement, and vibrant, successful alumni. In close proximity to the unparalleled offerings of New York City, the historic campus is home to an intellectually curious and diverse community.
The College Tour
We're proud to be featured on season 9 of The College Tour, streaming now on Amazon Prime. Our 10 student hosts invite you into their SLC worlds, sharing their experiences with everything from our one-of-a-kind educational model, collaborating with our fabulous faculty, life on this beautiful campus, finding community, career and future preparation, and what it's like to have New York City as your backyard.
What was that like?
Inspired by the style of Story Corps, the What Was That Like? podcast series features recorded conversations between Sarah Lawrence students and alumni about life after college. Working in small groups of shared interests, students completing internships (or other work experiences) speak with an alum about their experience after graduation. Each episode is centered on students’ questions and features a particular career community or pre-professional area.
New episodes dropping soon!
Keep an eye out for more great SLC Transcript Review discussions ahead. Meanwhile, don’t forget to check out other terrific conversations with the SLC community over at the The Sarah Lawrence College Podcast!