Living with Passion and Purpose

One of the highlights of Reunion 2025 was the gathering of all classes on Friday evening. Amid hugs, laughs and singing, Director of Alumnae Relations Harriet Groppe Prince '06 presented several awards that celebrate excellence and generosity within the alumnae community. This year’s Distinguished Alumna Award, which honors an alumna who has demonstrated outstanding distinction in her professional and/or volunteer field of endeavor, providing an inspiring role model for students, went to Dr. Myisha R. Rodrigues '00.

Rodrigues is a licensed mental health clinician, trauma specialist, scholar and leader with more than two decades of experience in the mental health, education and nonprofit sectors. She majored in Dance and Movement Studies at Emory University — an early expression of her deep love for the arts, which continues to shape her professional narrative today. She earned a masters in Mental Health Counseling from Boston College, and a Ph.D. in Counseling & Psychology with a focus on Transformative Leadership, Education and Applied Research from Lesley University. At Lesley, she further developed two groundbreaking frameworks: embodied critical analysisTM (ECA) and the intersectional stages of change frameworkTM (ISCF). These models explore the impact of systemic oppression on workplace trauma and promote personal and organizational well-being through transformative leader development, strategic initiatives and social justice.

Rodrigues is passionate about facilitating professional growth locally, nationally and internationally — and always through a creative, culturally responsive and justice-centered lens. At the Friday night Reunion dinner, she shared a few words of gratitude and wisdom. The following is an excerpt of those remarks:

"When I attended the Open House at Dana Hall, I thought it was a beautiful campus, but my mom fell in love! I didn’t fully grasp her vision, but she knew attending a school like this would continue to develop and prepare me for the years ahead. She was already picturing me in all white with a flower wreath adorning my head at graduation, and I hadn’t even applied yet.

"Low and behold, I became a Dana Girl. When I was in attendance here, I thought I was going to become a pediatrician or a psychiatrist. I left knowing I wanted to help people somehow, but I never anticipated I’d pursue education for my career and become a core faculty member at a university and a licensed mental health clinician.

"I didn’t anticipate that adopting leadership roles all four years would give impetus to entrepreneurship and launching a consulting practice this summer. That living and learning with young women from countries far and wide, and the in-depth study of language, and travel across Europe would foster a deep love for learning about cultures unknown and further travel throughout my life.

"While being a Dana Girl included rigorous academics and leadership, I didn’t anticipate I’d learn about feminism in art history, nor the impact being encouraged (as a young woman) to engage in and not be dissuaded from advanced STEM courses would have.

"However, Dana is also so much more. It was and is a place where you can explore and develop interests in the arts, as I developed a love of creative writing. It’s a place where a host of athletic genres can be pursued (I was a dancer) — including swimming in a fabulous pool that was a mere dream when I was here. Although I was fortunate enough to return and teach a dance course in the beautiful new studio [in the Shipley Center] some years ago.

"It’s a place of tradition where Silver Sisters find each other and our SPREAD tradition lives on. A place that fosters healthy competition and a precocious yet mischievous nature, where we may or may not have toilet papered Winsor’s field when we had a game or added laundry detergent to the new fountain at the center of campus for our senior prank. I will neither confirm nor deny.

"As I’ve been in this reflective space, I looked through my yearbook recently and was surprised to see the number of people that acknowledged and admired my strength years ago. It brings contentment to know that that strength led to critical choices and future boundary setting that created more space for self-care and well-being — now also including pervasive joy as well as agency and flexibility in living out my passion and purpose.

"I was also surprised to see I wrote an address as All-School President. Twenty-five years later I had no recollection, but I was curious to see what 18-year-old me had to say. I was impressed!

"So, I will leave you with an excerpt of the same words I left my classmates 25 years ago...

"Dear Dana,
I’m writing this to you as a letter of recognition and admiration. You have become a part of me and I will never forget all that we have given to each other. Close relationships with the faculty, staff, administration and students are treasures I will forever hold. I have worked diligently to instill the ideas and wishes that both Leah and I created in the beginning of the year; we wanted to create an atmosphere in which laughter, respect, and perspective were continually sought by everyone. This was a tremendous year of change and triumph, and I hope that you all will continue to climb challenging mountains and upon reaching the top will look as far as your vision permits. Never stop moving forward through your own processes of becoming. Remember the sky is your only limit and you are the only one who can deter yourself from attaining your goals."