Sasha Nelson ('24)

Sasha became interested in the EDST Certificate even before coming to Yale. In high school, she spent several years babysitting, teaching kids dance classes, and leading summer camps. Because education is a broad field, Sasha found the EDST Certificate program to be a great opportunity to dive into her specific passions. In particular, she is interested in developmental psychology, as well as topics like public policy, economics, history, and equity as they relate to education. Now, she tutors with PALS through Dwight Hall and REACH through the Yale School of Medicine.

Sasha’s most recent favorite EDST memory is watching the documentary “No Small Matter” for her class on Child Care. She highly recommends it for anyone who is interested in hearing about innovative and inspiring solutions for the many challenges in the child care system.

Looking back, Sasha is grateful for the teachers who contributed to her love of education. “I really loved my Japanese teacher from elementary and middle school, Hiromi Sensei,” she says. “She just brought this immense warmth and sense of comfort and safety to the classroom. I remember very vividly the stories she would tell about her childhood and learning how to make mochi!”