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From May to July 2025, I had the opportunity to spend three months at the University of British Columbia – Okanagan, Canada, as a Visiting International Research Student.
It was an intense and inspiring experience that allowed me to step outside my comfort zone, encounter new perspectives, and broaden the horizon of my doctoral journey at the University of Padua.
Among the many meaningful moments of this time abroad, one stands out: my conversation with Professor Sabre Cherkowski, UBCO Tier 1 Principal’s Research Chair in Leadership, Learning, and Wellbeing. Her internationally recognized research explores how leadership can foster positive and sustainable cultures of flourishing in schools, with a particular focus on teacher well-being and professional learning communities.
From our exchange was born the first episode of her podcast Lead Well, launching the new series Conversations in the Field. This series opens space for educators, researchers, and teachers to share reflections on relevant questions in education.
We began by introducing ourselves not only as scholars but as people. I spoke about my research on students’ self-narratives in higher education, exploring their ideas on well-being opportunities and aspirations within the academic environment. Professor Cherkowski shared her work on educational leadership, the creation of flourishing communities and sustainable approaches to whole-school wellbeing. What connected us was a shared curiosity that became the thread of our entire conversation: how might education become a space where people don’t just achieve, but truly flourish?
In educational research, well-being is often measured through surveys, indicators, or statistics. While these tools are valuable, they can also flatten the complexity of what it truly means to live and learn well. Flourishing is not only about performance, productivity, or outcomes; it is also about relationships, purpose, and the small, everyday practices of care that give meaning to our academic and professional lives.
Self-narratives are powerful in this regard because they reveal both the personal and collective dimensions of flourishing. When students share their stories, they not only articulate their individual journeys but also contribute to a broader tapestry of experiences that can inspire, challenge, and transform the communities they inhabit. Listening to these voices helps us reimagine the university as a place where well-being is cultivated together, not pursued alone.
At the heart of our dialogue were not fixed answers but living questions:
These questions continue to resonate with me as I move forward in my research. They remind me that inquiry can itself be an act of care and a way of cultivating community.
I would like to warmly invite you to explore this theme with us. Let the conversation be a starting point to wonder, to question, and to imagine:
✨ What if our work is to learn how to flourish?
The answers may differ for each of us, and they may shift over time. Yet by opening ourselves to exploration—by sharing our voices, listening to others, and staying with the questions—we can begin to shape educational spaces where flourishing is not an exception, but a shared responsibility.
🎧 Listen to the very first episode of Lead Well – Conversations in the Field: “Echoes of Flourishing” 👉 https://open.spotify.com/episode/1riDfXwWajaqmxFYolp25V?si=D2151Hw9RAiyb8Kuitln4A
