He remembers attending a Fordham Rams men’s basketball game with his own basketball team as a kid, and recalls telling himself that he would attend Fordham University one day. Brandon Farmer, now a master’s student in the Graduate School of Education’s (GSE) school building leadership program, never knew that ambition would come to fruition many years later.
“The most crucial factors for me in selecting an educational leadership program to attend were whether the program is rooted in social justice and equity in education,” says Brandon. He notes he was happy to find this at Fordham, and that the school building leadership program’s mix of in-person and virtual courses, plus the university’s commitment to cura personalis (care for the whole person), also drew him to apply. Brandon believes it’s important to understand what it’s like on the other side of the camera, and in fact, what it’s like to be in a student’s seat in all types of educational settings. Even more than that, he is excited to tap into Fordham’s many resources and to build connections that will benefit his students in the future.
Ultimately, Brandon decided to pursue a career in educational leadership because he wants to increase his ability to influence and enact positive change in students’ lives. While he greatly appreciates the learning that takes place because of teachers, who touch many lives through the experiences they create within the four walls of each classroom, he also understands that a school building leader’s actions and decisions can have a much broader impact. Brandon wants to have that broader impact, and decided to learn the skills through Fordham GSE’s school building leadership program that will help him influence and shape entire learning communities.
As an adult, it was during sophomore year at The State University of New York at Oswego (SUNY-Oswego) that Brandon’s desire for a career in education first took root. He reflected, “I had been thinking about my K-12 educational experience, and I realized there was a lack of men of color in every school I attended. It troubled me that I had never seen myself in any curriculum, or in any members of a faculty or administration. It was then I recognized that there are deficits that need to be addressed; now, I want to take advantage of the opportunities I have at Fordham and be part of the solutions that address those deficits.”
Brandon will begin his school building leader internship experience at his home school in the Bronx. Even though it’s early in the semester, he says he’s already been exposed to many new ideas and concepts. And what does he think so far? He commented, “I am eager to start applying the ideas and concepts I’m learning to the work I will be doing as an intern, and to my other leadership roles as a teacher. I am grateful for the opportunity to continue learning and growing at the Fordham University Graduate School of Education.”
