From Strangers to Connection: A Day That Changes Everything (Ep. 51)
Episode Notes
What if just 6 hours could transform how students see each other—and themselves? In this powerful episode, we take you inside Breaking Down the Walls, a high school workshop where simple conversations evolve into moments of deep vulnerability, empathy, and connection.
At a Northern California high school, students move from awkward introductions to sharing personal stories of loneliness, bullying, and resilience. Through activities like “Cross the Line,” they discover something many didn’t expect: they are not alone. Walls built by fear, stereotypes, and silence begin to fall.
This episode, featuring voices from students, educators, and a social-emotional learning expert, reveals why connection is essential for learning—and how schools can foster it. The result? A powerful reminder that when students feel seen and understood, everything changes—relationships, school culture, and, for many, a renewed eagerness to learn.
Notable Quotes
Jason Jademski (Breaking Down the Walls Leader):
"It's hard to hate someone whose story you know."
“Schools don't get better when one person changes a lot. They get better when a lot of people change a little bit."
“We use the phrase ‘simple things,’ not ‘little things,’ a lot in our work. It is such a simple thing to have a one-on-one conversation with another human being, but it's not a little thing.”
“We use a philosophy called ‘Play, Trust, Learn.’ You put people together, you play a really simple game that takes maybe a minute, and then you give them an opportunity to talk and to share. Conversation creates care, and then they're willing to learn and grow together.”
Valerie Zuniga (Student):
"I am not alone. And so seeing that other people also understand you, it's incredible.” Valerie used these words to describe the profound emotional impact of the workshop, where she realized that her peers shared similar feelings and struggles.
Samantha Vega (Student):
"[Adults in school] can do a lot to make the environment itself easier for children to open up. Some children have never had a positive experience with authority…If I myself didn't have teachers who did that for me, I don't think that I would be where I am today. My first positive experiences were with adults in school." Samantha said this while reflecting on how crucial caring adults were to her, especially given the abusive home life she had experienced.
Alicia Raia Hawrylak (Social Emotional Learning Expert):
"It's incredibly important that [students] feel seen, valued, affirmed, and supported by the adults that are in front of them…The question is, how do we create schools where no one is suffering in silence?”
Debra Hawkins (School Administrator):
“No kid is going to do well in any piece of education unless there is a significant relationship… and they know an adult cares about them.”
Featured Guests:
Jason Jedamski (JJ) is a husband, father, educator, mentor, and former administrator whose purpose is simple: to help people live a better life than they would have if they had never met him. He lives that purpose through education, consulting, and speaking.
Over 25 years in education, Jason has served as a teacher, coach, assistant principal, principal, activities director, and school culture coach. As an administrator, he worked as an assistant principal at a large suburban high school and later returned to his hometown of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, to launch an innovative micro high school as principal.
Jason’s passion for school culture ignited Broken Arrow High School, the largest high school in Oklahoma, where he helped lead a dramatic turnaround in student engagement—from low participation to a thriving culture nationally recognized as the Most Spirited High School in America by Varsity Brands. That transformation opened the door for Jason to begin serving schools as a speaker, facilitator, and consultant in 2017.
In 2021, he founded Ignite2Unite, his speaking and consulting company, which now delivers more than 300 days of school culture work each year across North America.
Alicia Raia Hawrylak Ph.D. is a sociologist, former middle school teacher, and school climate researcher dedicated to improving school experiences and outcomes for all students. She currently serves as Project Manager of the School Climate Transformation Project (SCTP) at the Graduate School for Applied and Professional Psychology at Rutgers University, where she led the development and validation of the New Jersey School Climate Improvement (NJ SCI) Survey and oversees evaluation of the project’s impact on school climate and student outcomes.
Alicia’s work centers on strengthening school systems through data-informed decision-making and inclusive leadership. Using both quantitative and qualitative research methods, she studies how school culture shows up in classrooms and daily interactions, and how high-fidelity implementation of research-based strategies can improve school climate. Her research has examined disparities in students’ exposure to peer interpersonal aggression and the conditions that support a sense of belonging and positive relationships in schools and communities.
Alicia works with school and district leaders and education organizations to support school climate improvement efforts, strategic planning, and the implementation of evidence-based social and emotional learning. She is particularly focused on helping school leaders use school climate data as a tool for continuous improvement, advocacy, and meaningful change for students and staff.
Alicia began her career as a middle school language arts teacher through Teach for America, working in New York City and Asbury Park, New Jersey. She holds a Ph.D. in Sociology from Rutgers University and an M.S.T. in Teaching English to Adolescents.
Valerie Zeniga graduated from Sunnyside High School in Fresno, California, and is currently a pre-med student at Columbia University.
Samantha Vega graduated from Sunnyside High School in Fresno, California, in 2019. She is currently a medical assistant and nail technician.
Mike Walsh is a leadership strategist, facilitator, and public education advocate who believes in showing up—with purpose, presence, and service at the center. A former student leader turned elected official, Mike has served in public office since 2010, representing the Butte County Office of Education for more than 15 years. His statewide leadership includes serving as President of the California School Boards Association (CSBA) in 2018, following elections to the Delegate Assembly in 2010 and the Board of Directors in 2011.
Rooted in lived experience—from growing up in a small Northern California town to raising a family and building a business with no safety net—Mike brings a facilitation style shaped by curiosity, humility, and a belief that meaningful change begins with better questions.
Pete Totoochie has been the Activities Director at Nevada Union High School in Northern California for the last 14 years. He has also served as a leadership teacher, snowboard coach, advisor for the Interact Club, and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes Club.
Debra Hawkins is the Campus Culture Manager in Fresno Unified School District in California, previously serving as the Campus Culture Director at Sunnyside High School.
Related Content:
Ignite2Unite website
Breaking Down the Walls Workshop (8-minute video)
School Connectedness - Strategies for Increasing Protective Factors for Youth, Centers for Disease Control
The School Climate Transformation Project at Rutgers University
The New Jersey School Climate Improvement (NJ SCI) Survey and Platform
The SCI's the Limit: How Data Can Help Build More Inclusive New Jersey Schools