HGSE Admissions Blog

In this piece, Jorie Fawcett reflects on her journey from an undergraduate student at Vanderbilt University to a graduate student at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, highlighting her evolving understanding of education beyond the classroom. At HGSE, she emphasizes the value of curiosity, self-reflection, and experiential learning through fieldwork, particularly in her current Graduate Assistant role supporting student life and leadership. Jorie encourages early-career students to embrace uncertainty, trust their personal growth, and remain open to the many pathways within education.

jorie fawcett (she/her)

My reaction video to being accepted to the Harvard Graduate School of Education does not feature me jumping up and down, screaming, or releasing tears of joy. In the video, you can see me glance at the camera, give a small smile, and turn off the phone. What you don’t see are the 20 elementary school students behind me watching a Spanish-language movie. I had just gotten them to settle down and not whisper to each other through the movie. I couldn’t risk a dramatic reaction at the cost of ruining my rare moments of silence with my students. That’s not to say I wasn’t excited to be accepted into such a prestigious graduate program. I was over the moon, and even got to celebrate in Paris during a class trip the following week. But at the time, I was finishing my undergraduate program, and didn’t quite understand the scope of what going to graduate school really meant. It was just the next step of my journey — a journey 20 years in the making. 

I graduated from Vanderbilt University in May 2025, less than 1 year ago. I studied secondary education and sociology with the goal of becoming a high school history teacher. As an undergraduate, I tried just about every club, organization, and field of study Vanderbilt had to offer. I worked my way up in the student newspaper to become the Editor-in-Chief, simply because I enjoyed writing and valued the contributions students make on their college campuses.  I spent my time in the classroom studying the intersection of education and public policy. In my role as a student journalist, I got to chronicle how these theoretical discussions manifest in higher education. 

As I became more involved as a student leader, I found myself pulled away from curriculum writing and learning standards and more into developing myself as a student and what that looks like as a career. I held onto the hope that I would keep the love I had for classroom teaching, but I began to understand education as more than a practice, as a collaborative and complex societal practice serving an entire lifespan. 

I’ve been a student for the majority of my life. It’s hard to imagine a life without packing up my backpack each morning and spending most of my waking hours in a classroom. I really thought that coming to HGSE, everyone would be like me in terms of experience, taking on one more year of study before settling into a career. During our orientation, we learned that the range of career experience is 0 to 30 years. I haven’t been alive for 30 years, let alone been in a career. But this fact didn’t scare me; it only made me more curious. Curious to what a 30-year career could look like, just as I am starting my journey in student affairs. 

I’d like to be really honest with the readers: when I decided to apply to graduate school, I couldn’t exactly pinpoint what I wanted to “do.” I knew I wanted to work in higher education, but as I learned more about what it involves, my list of bookmarked articles grew longer, and my interest in the field deepened. I kept working in schools as a substitute teacher during my senior year of college, and during lunch breaks, or when the students settled down for a few minutes, I would read every page of an admissions website or pull up the education section of the New York Times. I can’t say I still know exactly what I want to “do” when I leave Appian Way. But if you, too, are an early-career applicant, I can offer you this piece of advice. Get to know yourself well, and the clarity will follow. Stay up to date with education news, keep a journal, and reflect on your personal values. 

I spent a long time trying to convince myself that education meant being a classroom teacher. It was during my experience as a student leader and journalist that I started to understand education more broadly. We’ll all be connected to the field of education in some way, whether as parents, teachers, or community members — and that is what I found fascinating. 

After being admitted to HGSE, I wanted a field-based internship to help me connect my classroom learning to real-life applications. I found my place as a Graduate Assistant in the Center for Campus Life at the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. If you’re interested in exploring a field placement as an HGSE student, you can receive up to 4 academic credits per semester through the S997 field placement course. I highly recommend putting your knowledge to the test and getting out into the field. In my role, I support student leaders in campus-wide programming and student government. Each day brings something new — whether working on logistics for the student government elections or coordinating with multiple vendors for a “Wicked” themed gala. Everything has a common theme: fostering a sense of belonging for students at every stage of their educational journey. 

For those going through the graduate school application process, especially those finishing up their undergraduate studies, enjoy this phase of life! It’s ok if you have no idea where you want to be in education, and it’s also ok if you have a perfectly crafted 30-year plan. At HGSE, I encourage you to be creative, ask the hard questions, and please take a course with Dr. Tim McCarthy and Dr. Susan Marine. 

Looking back at my reaction to being accepted into HGSE, I see the same person I am today in many ways: supporting students, excited for a new journey, and a little scared about what’s to come. But I also see a new student affairs professional and a student who is learning to change the world.