There are so many career paths that HGSE students pursue, some of which they learned about through their programs. In this blog, students share how HGSE helped them learn about and explore career paths that they may not have considered pursuing before the program.
Michele Vick
What were you doing prior to attending HGSE?
I was teaching English as a second language (ESL) overseas.
When you started the program, what kind of work were you hoping to pursue after graduation?
Either research in the field of Mind, Brain, Education (MBE) or applying concepts of MBE to teacher development in ESL.
How has your time at HGSE introduced you to new career paths?
I’ve begun to think more about what it means to be an advocate or an ally. I’ve learned the value of qualitative research and crafting narratives that amplify voices. I’ve also learned more about community partnership.
What path(s) are you hoping to pursue now?
I still may do professional development/teacher training, but looking more at working with programs that impact first generation college students, undocumented students and immigrants, maybe focusing on culturally sustaining pedagogies (something I had never heard of prior to HGSE). Or I’d like to work as a qualitative researcher and amplify the voices of immigrants, moving beyond a deficit narrative. Something similar to the work done by this group: https://www.ilctr.org/promoting-immigrants/
Lizzie Mann
What were you doing prior to attending HGSE?
I was an upper elementary teacher for 3 years and had 2 years of experience in events/fundraising.
When you started the program, what kind of work were you hoping to pursue after graduation?
I was considering staying a teacher, but wanted to explore research, statistics, and strategic analysis.
How has your time at HGSE introduced you to new career paths?
I took many classes that exposed me to different careers and gave me direct “consulting” like experience (statistics, data science for education, intro to finance/budgeting, using data in organizations, equity in action). I also was a Research Assistant with Reach Every Reader which equipped me with analytical skills.
What path(s) are you hoping to pursue now?
Maybe not next year, but I hope to go into strategic planning for schools or universities. My heart may still call me into the classroom for a while longer!
Ebony Breaux
What were you doing prior to attending HGSE?
I was working at a charter high school as the Director of College Counseling. I helped students and families learn about college and navigate the college and financial aid application processes.
When you started the program, what kind of work were you hoping to pursue after?
I thought that I might continue working in college access through training and supporting college counselors. I was also interested working in admissions or as an academic advisor at a college or university. My main goal was to increase equity and access in higher education.
How has your time at HGSE introduced you to new career paths?
I’ve dedicated a lot of time to connecting with people—classmates, faculty, and alumni. Through these connections, I have been able to learn about many different career paths and roles. Through the Crimson Connect (put on by CSO), I was able to chat with someone who had experience in both advising and admissions, but now works for an executive search firm (which I had never heard of) that does recruiting for leaders in mission driven organizations.
I have also become increasingly interested in career services and how to create pipelines for students to enter the workforce.
What path(s) are you hoping to pursue now?
I’m interested in two paths: Career Services and Executive Search. Both are very different from each other and also different than what I started the program hoping to pursue. I’ve found that my passion is thinking about work—how people move through the job search process both during and after college. It’s not at all what I envisioned, but that’s what grad school is all about right?
Amreen Poonawala
What were you doing prior to attending HGSE?
Before joining the Technology, Innovation, and Education (TIE) program at Harvard, I was working as a senior consultant at Accenture focusing on digital transformation and product management. While I worked with both public and private sector clients, most of my experience in the domain of education was through a non-profit organization that focused on empowering members of marginalized communities through economic development, skills training, and lifelong education.
When you started the program, what kind of work were you hoping to pursue after graduation?
When I started the program, I had three key goals that I was hoping to achieve: (1) I wanted to learn more about educational products and the best practices in building and managing them; (2) I wanted to gain insights on emerging technologies and how they were transforming education; (3) Given the vast entrepreneurial ecosystem at Harvard, I wanted to try building my own idea from scratch!
How has your time at HGSE introduced you to new career paths?
The pandemic drastically shifted our educational interactions. However, I think it was a blessing in disguise. The online learning context made me realize the importance of technology in education now and in the future! While my goals remained the same, my focus shifted towards online/digital learning and the future of education and work!
What path(s) are you hoping to pursue now?
HGSE and Harvard, at large, have initiated tremendous opportunities for me and my classmates. On the entrepreneurial front, I am working on my own venture, ChalkEd, an edtech product that empowers educators with the data they need to make their classrooms more engaging and equitable. I am incredibly grateful to the Harvard I-Lab, President’s Innovation Challenge, HIVE, LPCE, MIT Sandbox, and others for their support. I am also exploring some exciting opportunities that would allow me to build innovative and ethical products for global impact. Stay tuned! 🙂
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