About Damayanti
Damayanti Rane-Castrodad is a bilingual Indian and Puerto Rican educator passionate about culturally sustaining and identity-affirming education. As a fifth-grade teacher at Winthrop STEM Elementary Magnet School in New London, she designs lessons that celebrate diversity and foster self-love, social awareness, and empathy.
Rane-Castrodad believes in bridging students to community work, igniting a passion for advocacy, and nurturing a commitment to service. She has facilitated partnerships with the University of Connecticut and Connecticut Children’s Medical Center, where students organized fundraisers benefiting the hospital and its families. Outside the classroom, she coaches Girls on the Run—a program focused on empowerment, self-esteem, and positive friendships—and serves as the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Advisor for Alpha Chi Omega at UConn.
She earned a Bachelor of Science in Education and a Master of Arts in Curriculum and Instruction from UConn. She served on the executive boards of organizations that mentor aspiring educators, including the CEA Aspiring Educators program and Leadership in Diversity. Rane-Castrodad has presented at conferences hosted by UConn and the National Association for Multicultural Education. She finds it deeply rewarding to share her knowledge and enthusiasm for teaching, which energizes her to continually integrate new methods into her instruction and classroom culture.
