In This Story
by Brittney Dalmas, Cohort 29
On the second floor of George Mason University’s Van Metre Hall in Arlington, Virginia, a graduate student lounge quietly played a role in shaping what would become a defining part of the ODKM experience. During his studies from 2020 to 2022, Lorne Epstein (Cohort 25) often retreated to the space’s massage chairs for a brief pause amid the demands of coursework. Conversations with the staff member who managed the lounge led to an unexpected discovery: Registered Student Organizations (RSOs) and a funding structure that could fundamentally change how ODKM Learning Communities were supported.
RSOs, recognized and guided by George Mason University’s Student Involvement Office, provide student-led groups with institutional support and access to funding for events. For Lorne, learning about RSOs was more than administrative insight. It sparked an idea.
Reflecting on that period, Lorne describes his motivation in deeply personal terms. Tojo Thatchenkery (ODKM program director), Lorne explains, had created opportunities that reshaped his own learning journey. “Tojo really made a difference for me,” Lorne recalls. “I’m going to make a difference for Tojo.”
What followed was the formation of the ODKM Learning Alliance. Established in 2021 through sustained collaboration with program leadership, the Alliance created a formal student organization designed to stabilize funding, streamline processes, and reduce logistical barriers associated with Learning Communities. The impact was practical but significant: students could now focus their energy on designing and facilitating meaningful learning experiences rather than navigating administrative complexity.
Tojo Thatchenkery underscores the broader significance of this shift, noting that “as a Registered Student Organization, the Learning Alliance plays an important role in sustaining the community spirit of the ODKM program.”
As the Learning Alliance evolved, student leadership became central to its development. Jackie Boyd, immediate past president of the Alliance, describes the role of president as both strategic and operational. It is setting agendas, facilitating meetings, and ensuring continuity through recruitment and onboarding of future boards. Yet leadership within a growing organization also requires navigating constraints. Jackie notes that the Alliance remains early in its development, particularly from a budget perspective, where supporting multiple Learning Communities often leaves limited resources for additional initiatives.
Within this reality, Jackie intentionally focused on strengthening knowledge management practices, working to make it easier for cohorts to share learnings across Learning Community groups. They also prioritized moments of connection, including an end-of-year celebration that offered students and alumni a meaningful opportunity for closure. While these events are often the most visible outcomes, Jackie emphasizes that much of the Alliance’s work remains unseen, particularly the effort required to reapply for and secure funding each year.
From a faculty perspective, the Learning Alliance represents a powerful extension of classroom learning. Penny Potter, the organization's Faculty Advisor, observes that the Alliance provides students with opportunities to practice essential leadership capabilities in real time. Because the organization is student-directed, student officers regularly navigate the tensions inherent in leading through influence rather than title, moving conversations forward while inviting meaningful discourse, and managing transitions and knowledge transfer. These experiences mirror the complexities of leadership beyond academic settings.
Penny also highlights an important nuance in student development. While growth and transformation are hallmarks of the ODKM program itself, serving in Learning Alliance leadership roles allows students to apply what they are learning and may accelerate development already underway. The Alliance’s voluntary structure further reinforces this dynamic, as participation is driven not by grades but by intrinsic motivation and commitment to community. “The only reward is knowing one has facilitated Learning Communities and cross-cohort communication. Therefore, it is a great example of servant leadership,” Penny tells me.
Over time, faculty and program leadership have observed the Learning Alliance’s maturation. Transitions and knowledge transfer processes have become more structured and supportive, meetings and communications more consistent, and student participation steadily increasing.
For Tojo Thatchenkery, the Learning Alliance reflects both the community-centered spirit and the student-driven innovation that define the ODKM program. Beyond its structural support of Learning Communities, the Alliance provides students with opportunities to design and lead initiatives that foster connection, dialogue, and shared learning across cohorts.
Tojo notes that student engagement with the Alliance has steadily increased over time, signaling its growing presence within the program ecosystem. Looking ahead, he sees continued opportunity for the Learning Alliance to expand its impact by securing additional funding and organizing initiatives that enhance visibility for both the organization and the ODKM program.
The Impact of the Learning Alliance on Learning Communities
At its core, the Learning Alliance serves as an essential bridge between students, alumni, and the broader ODKM community. While much of its work happens behind the scenes, its impact is most visible through the Learning Communities themselves.
Learning Communities provide a distinctive platform for students to showcase their work in a live, applied setting. These sessions extend beyond traditional coursework, allowing students to design and facilitate conversations that reflect the theories, tools, and practices explored throughout the program. The Learning Alliance plays a critical role in sustaining this platform, helping ensure that Learning Communities remain not only viable but vibrant. As ODKM alumna Tracie Taylor described it, the experience of designing and delivering a Learning Community contributed to her success in designing and delivering a leadership development program for WMATA. The experiential learning makes real, tangible impact.
Through structural support, funding coordination, and continuity across cohorts, the Alliance enables Learning Community teams to focus on what matters most: creating meaningful learning experiences.
Just as importantly, Learning Communities serve as a powerful point of reconnection. Alumni frequently return to participate, engage, and contribute, reinforcing the program’s enduring sense of community. These gatherings create space for ongoing dialogue, shared reflection, and the continuation of relationships formed across earlier cohorts.
The ripple effects extend even further. Learning Communities often function as an informal gateway into the program, offering prospective students a firsthand glimpse into the ODKM learning experience. Observing student-led facilitation, collaborative inquiry, and the program’s distinctive culture can spark curiosity, interest, and deeper engagement.
In this way, the Learning Alliance does more than support events. It helps sustain a living ecosystem where student work is highlighted, alumni connections are strengthened, and future community members are welcomed.
A Community Sustained by Relationships
Today, the Learning Alliance reflects the collaborative, values-driven culture from which it emerged. Epstein’s original insight remains deeply embedded in its identity: the Alliance, he maintains, was fundamentally built on relationships and will continue to thrive through them.
As the current president of the Learning Alliance, I've seen this firsthand. It’s not just about processes, funding, or events; it’s the relationships built across cohorts, with faculty, and Learning Communities that truly sustain the Alliance.
The continued growth of the Learning Alliance, Learning Communities, and other student-driven initiatives is made possible through the ongoing support of the ODKM community. Alumni, partners, and friends who choose to invest in the program help sustain opportunities for experiential learning, leadership development, and meaningful connection. Those interested in supporting these efforts may consider making a gift to the ODKM program, contributing directly to the experiences that continue to shape students and strengthen the community. To make a gift, follow this link.