It takes most college students a semester or two to zero in on passions, projects, and course loads. But Nate Edwards-Roseney ‘22 was a Fellow at Clark University’s Mosakowski Institute even before he began his freshman year; the Institute was part of what drew him to Clark in the first place. For the past four years, he has only deepened his commitment to the Mosakowski Institute and its work, while deepening his connection to himself and those he teaches and trains.
Nate, a psychology major with a minor in education, has been a Fellow for The Mosakowski Institute’s partnership with Southbridge High School since the program’s inception in 2024. Southbridge has some of the lowest graduation rates in the state, with only 5% of graduates going on to attend college, but the Mosakowski Institute aims to amend that. The goal is to prepare students not just for college but for life.
It’s a philosophy that Nate was familiar with from CH-CH, literally parroting the School’s mission: “We teach in the way students learn,” he says, walking me through an example on note-taking for auditory, visual, and tactile learners. The program uses a three-pronged approach that includes weekly classes, the Mi Peace mental health app, and a Sensory Immersion Room designed to replace standard detention. Nate’s face lights up as he envisions how the program is going to take off and scale up in the years ahead.
The future is likewise full of promise for Nate himself. At 6’5” (he was a basketball player both at CH-CH and Clark), Nate could cut an imposing figure, but he’s anything but. His approach is to connect and teach at the individual level, whether with students he trains (on the court) or those he mentors (in the classroom). Nate is also a mindfulness coach, but found time in all his studies and work as a Fellow to play basketball in Serbia this past summer. His goal after graduation is to play basketball abroad - and if that weren’t enough, he can also be seen in the film Marty Supreme, where Nate plays a
As to those who helped him reach such heights, Nate is quick to credit former faculty Ty DeWitt ‘14 and Michael Streeter. DeWitt was “like a big brother. He saw my potential.” He adds that, “Mr. Streeter was a really important person in terms of…understanding who I am.” Whereas many high school kids can get lost thinking about friendships and fitting in, Streeter helped Nate understand the importance of figuring out “who YOU are yourself.”
Now, Nate gets to help the next generation of learners figure out the same. He cites a ninth grader from the Southbridge program who connected with Nate upon learning he was an athlete. Nate told him, “Yeah, I play basketball…but I’m a student too. He opened up with the realization he could be both.”
And not just both, because Nate is a true triple-threat: trainer, teacher, and future star. We can’t wait to see what’s next for him! If you know of a young alum still in college but already making a big impact, please send us a message!