- TED Talk Speaker, professional dancer/teacher, and San Diego State University (SDSU) Homecoming King Brandon Morio Ishikata, M.Ed., CYT knew at three years old playing pretend school with his sister’s Beanie Babies that he aspired to help others find their inner firework.
- Currently an Academic/Career Coach at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and a former University of Illinois Chicago New Academic Advisor of the Year, Brandon has taught college courses on Asian Americans in pop culture, yoga/mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic, and teacher assistant pedagogy.
- Through dancing, he studied on a full tuition scholarship at the country’s largest social/partner dance studio, May I Have This Dance, was selected to perform at the 100th/101st anniversary of Miss America, and performed two seasons with the four-time Emmy Award winning hip hop dance company, The Puzzle League.
- His interdisciplinary fusion of leadership and ballroom dance inspired his master’s thesis at Loyola University Chicago (LUC) and it became an official college class at UIC titled, “Shall We Dance?: Partner Dance Through a Leadership Lens.”
- An advocate for the Asian American/LGBTQIA+ voice, Brandon was as an inaugural Japanese American Citizens League (JACL) Kakehashi Project scholar/supervisor, JACL Chicago Kansha Project scholar, San Diego PFLAG scholar, a Japanese American National Museum 30 Changemaker Under 30, and was featured in the California Museum’s signature exhibit, “Uprooted!”, focused on the Japanese American WWII story.
- In fact, he recently gave a TED Talk at TEDxUofIChicago entitled, “Okagesamade (Thanks to You): Dance Lessons From a Los Angeles Parking Lot” depicting how Bon Odori/Obon dancing (Japanese folk dance) teaches us about intergenerational connection and Japanese values within our everyday lives.
- Brandon earned his B.A. in Liberal Studies, cum laude, California Multiple Subjects Teaching Credential from San Diego State University (Go Aztecs!), M.Ed. in Higher Education/Student Affairs, Alpha Sigma Nu honors from Loyola University Chicago (Go Ramblers!), and is currently pursuing his Certificate in Dance Education through the National Dance Education Organization.
- Connect with him on LinkedIn
- Visionary discipline is the ability to pursue a clear and inspiring vision while applying consistent, structured practices to achieve it. This approach combines creativity and strategic planning with resilience and adaptability, enabling individuals or organizations to remain focused on their goals even in the face of challenges. By balancing imaginative ideas with methodical execution, visionary discipline turns aspirations into reality.
Follow us on social media, don’t forget to like, follow, leave a review and share with a friend
@jheathmoreno
