Meet Our Graduates
Nicole Cirino '09
Nicole started in the Child Development program with a curiosity about the profound effects of her yoga practice, as well as the relational and psychological effects of yoga on her younger sisters. She spent her first year observing children's yoga classes and consulting the college library's dance literature, which discussed the psychotherapeutic effects of movement. This research, and a year-long Dance/Movement Therapy course, led to a thesis entitled "Bodies in Motion: An Experiential Study of Creative Movement and Yoga with Young Children." Learn more about Nicole»
Cynthia Minakawa '09
"I chose Sarah Lawrence for graduate school because I believed in the learning/teaching philosophy at SLC. It is different from many other academic institutions because there is such a strong focus on students learning how to learn, not what to learn. I felt an education at SLC would provide me the opportunity to grow academically, and also as an individual." Learn more about Cynthia»
Arvin Bains '03
A native of India, Arvin studied psychology as an undergraduate and found himself attracted to developmental psychology. He also liked the idea of working with children, so after college he decided to pursue child development. He knew he wanted a graduate program with small classes, a place where he could be encouraged and nurtured. As soon as he met a few of Sarah Lawrence’s faculty members and sat in on some classes, he figured it was a program unlike any other. Learn more about Arvin»
Erin Morris Gris '01
"My original goal was to finish my master's and return to Canada to open up my own Montessori school. Once enrolled at SLC, I was encouraged to "think outside the box," which lead me to volunteer at Mount Sinai Hospital in the pediatric units. Because of this my entire focus changed, and with the support of Barbara Schecter, I started on the path to becoming a Child Life Specialist." Learn more about Erin»
Cindy Parson-Puccio '97
Since Sarah Lawrence, Cindy's experiences have ranged widely. She likes the fact that the Child Development program prepared her to work in different areas. Besides earning a master's in social work at NYU, she's done psycho-remediation with children—kindergartners through high school students—experiencing a variety of learning issues. She helped pilot a "near-peer" mentoring program in three New York City public schools. And she's done floor-time play therapy in a private practice setting with children on the autistic spectrum, work that she continues today. Learn more about Cindy»
Vera Wang '71 addresses Class of 2013; photos, videos, media clips available on Commencement site