Outstanding TAs Honored For Their Work in the Classroom
May 11, 2026
Abigail Arnold | Office of Graduate Affairs
The Center for Teaching and Learning recently issued the 2025-2026 TA Awards for Excellence in Teaching and Mentoring. These awards honor graduate and undergraduate students for their excellent work providing instructional support in and out of the classroom. This year, fifty-three students were nominated for awards, garnering a total of eighty-seven nominations! The winners are:
Fall 2025
- Greg Roitbourd, undergraduate TA in Arts, Humanities and Culture
- Jacob Gelman, graduate TA in Arts, Humanities and Culture
- Audrey Teo, undergraduate TA in Business and Economics
- Zara Khawaja, undergraduate TA in Science, Engineering and Technology
- John Michael Figueroa, graduate TA in Science, Engineering and Technology
- Iris Zhou, graduate TA in Social Sciences and Social Policy
Spring 2026
- Teagan Chandler, graduate TA in Arts, Humanities and Culture [tie]
- Jingmian Gong, graduate TA in Arts, Humanities and Culture [tie]
- Lynca Saito, undergraduate TA in Business and Economics
- Mia Nydam, undergraduate TA in Science, Engineering and Technology [tie]
- Ava Towle, undergraduate TA in Science, Engineering and Technology [tie]
- Jack Yuanwei Cheng, graduate TA in Science, Engineering and Technology [tie]
- Kayla DiBenedetto, graduate TA in Science, Engineering and Technology [tie]
- Samuel Nielsen, graduate TA in Science, Engineering and Technology [tie]
- Aiko Njuguna, undergraduate TA in Social Sciences and Social Policy
- Nick Schiavo, graduate TA in Social Sciences and Social Policy
The winners expressed their excitement at being chosen and their enthusiasm for their work with students. “Working with first-year students taught me almost as much as the course taught them. The award feels especially meaningful because it recognizes both the chance someone took on me and the chance I took to grow through teaching,” said Nick Schiavo. “Knowing I’ve helped create a space where people feel comfortable learning and asking questions means everything,” said Zara Khawaja. Kayla DiBenedetto added, “This is my first year TAing. Especially in the beginning of the semester, I found it stressful, feeling as though I was responsible for how the students would perform on the exams. To have earned the confidence and trust of the students and be nominated for this award makes me really feel proud.” “I've known for quite a while that I want to work in higher education and to receive such positive feedback, affirming that I’m on the right career path and that my passion is translating well, is immensely rewarding,” said Teagan Chandler. “Teaching, and student writing specifically, are two things I'm very passionate about, and I'm just so thrilled to have been given this opportunity.”
Furthermore, the winners talked about what they themselves learned from their experiences in the classroom. “I recognized that if you put in the effort to craft engaging lectures, the students will respond better to them,” said Jack Yuanwei Cheng, while Samuel Nielsen said, “I really enjoyed teaching this semester, and I think I improved my communication skills a lot by interacting with my students.” “I learned a lot about the pedagogical style of teaching necessary for creative arts and how this style can be implemented in a classroom setting,” said Greg Roitbourd. “Through TAing at Brandeis, I discovered a passion for teaching and for the challenge of explaining techniques and concepts that had become second nature to me in a more thoughtful and accessible way,” added Mia Nydam. “Learning definitely does not have a one size fits all solution, and it is important to take the time to get to know each student as both a person and a learner.”
Finally, the winners spoke about the connections they built with students. “One particularly fun experience was when I concluded a section by playing ‘camp or not’ with images from the 2019 Met Gala (which had ‘camp’ as its theme),” said Jacob Gelman. “Seeing the students get so engaged debating whether certain looks from that Met Gala qualified as camp brought a smile to my face.” “Being a TA allows me to play a small part in inspiring students to pursue research opportunities outside of the classroom, and a rewarding moment this semester was when I got an email from a student with the subject line ‘I GOT INTO A LAB’ (in all capital letters),” said Ava Towle. “I was so happy that the course contributed to them achieving this goal and that they wanted to share their good news with me.” “The most rewarding part of being a teacher is when I can spark genuine curiosity in my students. When there's something you find fascinating, you want to share it with people! That's the fundamental reason why I love teaching,” said John Michael Figueroa. “It made my day recently to get the question ‘I understand how to apply the formula to get the answer... but what does rate-of-change have to do with area? That's so weird!’ When a student's curiosity has been grabbed like that — when there's a question that they genuinely want to know the answer to — I know I'm doing something right. I do my best to let their curiosity guide them, and help them discover and explore the deep mathematical ideas needed to satisfy their curiosity.”
We extend our warmest congratulations to all the TA Award winners – thank you for all you have brought to the classroom this year!