“You Don’t Have to Do Everything”: Lessons from Professor Kysa Nygreen's First-Year Seminar

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Kysa Nygreen, a UMass Amherst College of Education Professor, near her home in western Massachusetts.

When Professor Kysa Nygreen started to come to terms with her queer identity, she was already firmly settled into her adult life. She had married a man and had children with him. Nygreen felt like her position in the world was pretty much locked in—except it didn’t feel quite right. Over time, she gained the tools to speak up for what she wanted, even when the path didn’t seem clear.

I met Nygreen last year as the professor of my first-year seminar, LGBTQ Issues in Education (also sometimes taught by her as an Honors Discovery Seminar (HONORS 391AH) for Commonwealth Honors College students). Nygreen was extremely warm and supportive, and helped shepherd a group of mostly queer first-years through the shocking and disorienting results of the 2024 election.

Surviving the Spiral: Finding Hope in an Era of Uncertainty

Since the election, it feels like our country and government have continued to crumble. At the end of this summer, I set up a call with Nygreen to talk about what it’s like to be a student in the U.S. right now.

Nygreen admitted that she’s concerned about younger people these days. “You’ve lived through these really destabilizing events like Trump 2.0, the pandemic, the huge backlash against trans people…I just want to acknowledge that it’s tough for you guys,” she said.

For many of us, we are coming to terms with who we are and what our place is in the world. At times, it feels like adding on political and social turmoil outside of what we’re personally experiencing is just too much.

Nygreen spoke to me about the similarity of her anxious spirals when she was coming out as queer to what she’s felt recently about the state of our country. It’s no secret that many college students are feeling the same way.

She went on to say that external factors like social media, the news cycle, and the constant inundation of triggering content only exacerbates the effects of this. Sometimes the troubling footage we see on our phones can seem even more raw and lifelike than our own experiences.

The question is: how do we continue on with our daily lives when it feels like the world as we know it is in a state of limbo?

Community as Activism: Connecting When It Matters Most

Nygreen wanted to stress to students that “you don’t have to do everything.” Much of the time, taking a step back and prioritizing your own mental health and wellbeing can help you show up better when you feel called to.

But for some people, trying to focus on yourself can make you feel even more isolated.

For Nygreen, she feels most energized when she’s in community with other people. She turns to the Indivisible weekly call and Heather Cox Richardson’s Substack Letters from an American for her news updates. The Indivisible calls in particular help her feel motivated and connected to a local group of politically activated peers with specific action items.

In her words: “Finding meaning and joy and community and connection isn’t being irresponsible, that’s just part of being human.”

No matter how you choose to tackle this—whether it’s through attending a meeting with friends, calling your representatives, or unplugging to do meditation on your own, it’s important to remember that we are not the first generation to go through major upheaval.

“For the history of humanity, every part of the planet…there have always been abuses of power, authoritarian governments, cruel dictators, and ALSO there have always been people fighting against those things, and ALSO there have always been people living worthwhile, beautiful, fulfilling lives," Nygreen explained.

She recommended that students start the semester by slowing down and taking care of themselves. By being intentional and putting our own wellbeing first, we can reconnect with what is most important in our lives. Like Nygreen says, this is a long haul. The next few months may get rough, both personally and politically.

But when things feel destabilized, we can rest assured that past generations have been here before. The path may not always be clear. But we can get through this—one assignment, one protest, one honest conversation at a time.