When Schools Become Sanctuaries: A Research Path Rooted in Story

  Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about what it means for schools to be sanctuaries, not just physically safe, but emotionally and culturally safe, too. Working in Montbello, where so many of my students are newcomers navigating a new language, a new culture, and often the trauma of migration, I see every day how much they carry. Some have experienced family separation. Others live in fear of deportation. Many have had their education interrupted for months or even years.

As the political climate in the U.S. becomes increasingly hostile toward immigrants, this reality isn’t just a backdrop, it’s the context we’re all living and teaching in. And it’s why I feel an even deeper responsibility to help my students and colleagues feel seen, safe, and supported.

One concept that really stood out to me during this course was culturally sustaining pedagogy. In Module 9, I had the chance to work on a community-centered project that made me reflect deeply on how schools can do more than just “include” students from diverse backgrounds, they can affirm, uplift, and empower them. That experience sparked something in me, and it’s now shaping the direction of my doctoral research.

I want to explore how schools can become true sanctuaries, places that embrace students’ cultural identities while also equipping them with the academic tools they need to succeed. I believe narrative inquiry—research that centers personal stories, can help us get there. Too often, the lived experiences of immigrant students are left out of educational research and policy. But their stories hold the key to building more humane, more inclusive learning environments.

My hope is that through this work, I can help shift the way we think about teaching and leading in culturally diverse communities. Because when we listen closely to our students’ stories, we don’t just become better educators, we become better people.