“When I was a college student I did not have a lot of black teachers or people of color. I recognized that my own experience was not reflected in what I was being taught.

I come from a mixed household, my dad is from the Ivory Coast, and my mom is from the Democratic Republic of Congo. I am Canadian by birth, I grew up in the Ivory Coast and I moved to the US when I was 11. And I say those stories to say, I have always operated in some ways as an outsider. I think that teaches you a lot about people, humanity and what makes people tick. Also, how quickly we unintentionally make people not feel like they belong.

I’ve dreamed of being a professor for a long time, but I always felt like I need to go get a PhD before I have the credentials to be able to do this job. I co-taught a class with Professor Adam Hollowell. I remember after the class, he was like, “You don’t have to get a PhD to teach. Your expertise in leading an organization and doing organizing work will be your ticket to being in academia because academia needs people who are doing the work that the other professors are teaching.” So when the opportunity came, I was like, “Oh, this is what Adam was talking about.”

For me, teaching is first about building community, where students feel safe to take intellectual risk in service of what they want to learn. I think relating to my students first is modeling the process of learning, which is about asking bold questions. Sometimes getting the answer right the first time, sometimes not. Sometimes saying, “I don’t know.” So fostering a sense of curiosity.

I try to share openly my experiences: What have been my challenges? What have been my points of success? What did I once think I knew that I no longer am so sure that I know. What was my college experience like?

Being really humble is a way that I try to relate to my students. I’m not like “I’m the expert and everything I say is right.” I’m good at some things. I’ve learned a lot and we’re here to learn together.”

– Alexandra Zagbayou, Hart Leadership Program Professor of the Practice
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