Creating Space for Belonging

Each year, members of the HGSE community step onto the Double Take stage to share personal stories that invite reflection, connection, and a deeper sense of belonging.

Now in its 10th year, Double Take is a cherished tradition at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Launched in 2016 to highlight storytelling as a powerful educational tool, the event features personal stories from students, staff, and faculty — creating space to celebrate lived experience, strengthen community, and foster connection.

“I have been fortunate to be part of Double Take since its very first iteration, when I stepped onto the stage as a teller,” says Rilda Kissel, associate director of student support services and Double Take organizer. “Through these stories, I have learned a great deal about others and about myself. In a time marked by division, Double Take continually reminds me of the quiet power of creating space for people to share their lived experiences, and the deep importance of truly listening.”

Double Take was initially devised by former Dean Jim Ryan, who recognized storytelling as a meaningful educational practice and envisioned an HGSE event inspired by programs like The Moth. Interested participants submit their stories, receive coaching support, and then share their narratives onstage during a live event.

Since its launch, Double Take has taken on a life of its own, featuring dozens of stories each year. These range from deeply serious experiences — navigating child loss, homelessness, or immigration — to lighter, whimsical moments, such as supporting microbiome research, adopting a challenging cat, or navigating systems without a last name.

A key aspect of Double Take is its inclusivity; it is open to everyone in the HGSE community. For former staff member Matt Weber, Ed.M.’11, who helped launch the event and has also participated as a storyteller, its enduring legacy is a reminder of how stories, people, and community intertwine and live on within the values and unique culture of HGSE.

“In short, it is the best of us — told unmasked, raw, and vulnerable — that strengthens and bonds in its simplest form: a story well told,” Weber says. “Double Take endures because elementally, we are all stories lived and mostly untold; this special event gives space for the telling.”

The live storytelling event amplifies this sense of connection. “As we shared our stories in Askwith Hall, I felt a strong sense of community among everyone who was there,” says Miso Kwak, Ed.M.’19, who shared her story about being blind. “Learning about and relating to each person’s story brought us a little closer. Students, faculty, and staff all had the chance to share, which made it especially meaningful. It highlighted that the HGSE community includes everyone who studies and works here.”

“We laughed and cried together. HGSErs have never avoided having difficult conversations and fighting for social justice,” says former staff member Andres Galindo, Ed.M.’20, who shared his story of being a formerly undocumented immigrant. “I felt the strongest sense of belonging I had ever experienced at Harvard in my time there.” 

Double Take is an experience that stays with you even long after you leave Appian Way, both Kwak and Galindo attest. 

“Whenever I have the chance, I attend local storytelling events to support them and to learn more about people in my community. I’ve watched several iterations of Double Take since graduating, and I’m so glad it continues to create space for these stories to be told,” says Kwak.

Now, in his role as director of Diversity, Equity, and Engagement at Durham Academy in North Carolina, Galindo was inspired to host a night similar to Double Take where people within the community could share   stories, music, and dance. 

“HGSE changed my life — even though I always knew that — Double Take helped me reflect what that meant not just for me but for my greater community as well, how I am responsible for using the privilege I gained through becoming a citizen, a Harvard employee, and a Harvard graduate, to speak up for those who can’t speak for themselves,” he says.