Susan D. Blum is a professor of anthropology at the University of Notre Dame. She has directed her anthropological inquiry to the study of school and its many strange effects for nearly 20 years, writing a lot and hearing a lot of stories along the way--but never enough stories!

Max is an undergraduate student at the University of Notre Dame majoring in English and minoring in Education, Schooling, and Society and History. He is from San Jose, California and is most interested in what motivates individuals to engage with learning and how mindsets shape their schooling experiences.

Jiahe (Andy) Cao is a PhD student in Anthropology at the University of Notre Dame. Her research examines education, language ideologies, and social inequality in contemporary China, focusing on how vocational students negotiate class and aspiration through everyday talk and digital media.

Christine is an undergraduate student at the University of Notre Dame majoring in ACMS with a concentration in Biology. She enjoys learning more about factors that impact school experiences.

Carley is an undergraduate at the University of Notre Dame majoring in Anthropology and Spanish. She is from Columbia MO and enjoys learning about how different cultures view learning and the impacts it has on a person’s mental health.

Ethan is an undergraduate student at the University of Notre Dame, majoring in Neuroscience and Behavior and minoring in Marketing, aspiring to be a physician. He is from Long Island, New York, and is interested in how intrinsic and extrinsic motivations lead to vocation and success in academic environments.

Halle is an undergraduate student at the University of Notre Dame majoring in Anthropology and minoring in Accountancy and Constitutional Studies. She is from Logansport, IN, is an aspiring lawyer, and is interested in understanding the nuances of student perspectives and experiences.