Meet the Team

Saijal

Rajbhandari

Program Operations Coordinator

Saijal Rajbhandari grew up in Nepal, where she built her foundation — her studies, her values, and her understanding of what actually matters. Hard work, resilience, and a deep belief that the right structures and the right support can change what is possible for people. Those convictions have never left her.

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When she made the decision to move to the United States to pursue her Master's degree in Information Technology Management, it was not a small step. But those years of building a life somewhere new gave her something she still carries — the ability to walk into unfamiliar situations and find her footing, to connect with people from vastly different backgrounds, and to keep going when things are not easy.

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Her career has been built at the intersection of people and process. She steps into complex, multi-partner environments, figures out what is not working, and makes it better — with clarity, consistency, and genuine care for the mission behind the work. She pays attention. She keeps things moving. She makes sure nothing important gets missed. With a background that spans both social impact and information technology, she has learned that meaningful work needs both the right people and the right structure behind it — and that is the kind of work she keeps coming back to.

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What brought her to Black Men Teach is personal. She grew up seeing how much access and representation shape what people believe is possible for themselves. That never stopped being important to her. Supporting the Thrive by 2035 Coalition is not just a role — it is a reflection of everything she has worked toward and everything she believes in. She shows up for this mission completely, because she knows firsthand that when the right people commit to the right work, change does not just happen — it lasts.

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6 QUESTIONS

WITH

Saijal

1 How would you describe what you do?

I serve as the operational foundation for the program team — bringing structure, clarity, and consistency to collaboration across multiple partners. From coordinating meetings and working groups to managing agendas, documentation, and follow-ups, I make sure decisions don't just get made — they get acted on.

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I also maintain the systems that keep everything moving: trackers, dashboards, timelines, and partner communications. At the core, my work ensures that every partner stays aligned, every deadline stays on track, and the collective mission keeps moving forward.

2 What about the mission inspired you to join BMT?

What inspires me most about BMT's mission is its deep commitment to representation and belonging. It's about more than placing educators in classrooms — it's about ensuring every student sees someone who reflects their identity, their potential, and their lived experience. That kind of visibility shapes confidence, belonging, and what a child believes is possible for themselves. What draws me in is the intentionality behind it — the focus on not just recruiting Black male educators, but preparing, supporting, and retaining them for the long term. That's the kind of structural, lasting change I've always wanted to contribute to.

3 If you could describe in one word why you work at BMT, what would it be?

Transformation

4 What is a piece of advice you would give to Black Men who are considering becoming teachers?

Show up.

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Because for some children, seeing you at the front of that classroom will be the moment everything changes for them. You may never fully know the impact you have, but trust that it's there, it's real, and it matters more than you know.

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5 What is the name of the teacher or teachers who had the most impact on you? Why?

This work is personal to me. Everything I do is driven by a genuine belief that the right support and the right structures can create change that lasts. I don't just show up for the tasks — I show up for the mission and the people behind it. Every system I build, every partner I support, every meeting I coordinate is rooted in a genuine care for what this community is working toward and the lives it's changing. That commitment doesn't stop when the workday ends — it's simply who I am.

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6 What else do you want the community to know about who you are, your passion for the work, and the skills you bring to the work?

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1

How would you describe what you do?

1

2

What about the mission inspired you to join BMT?

2 Transformation

3

If you could describe in one word why you work at BMT, what would it be?

3

Show up.

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4

What is a piece of advice you would give to Black Men who are considering becoming teachers?

4

Mrs. Anamika Bhattarai, my social work teacher. She had this way of pushing you to look beyond the surface and ask not just what is happening, but why.

She made you feel responsible for the world around you in a way that no other teacher did. That way of thinking never left me — it shaped how I see problems, how I work with people, and how I approach everything I do today.

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