In this piece, Sara Ines Halabi reflects on her journey from elementary school teacher to graduate student in the Teaching and Teacher Leadership (TTL) program at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Drawing on her experiences teaching in public schools in Georgia and Texas, Sara describes how her commitment to educating the whole child and…

In this piece, Salomey Ampadu reflects on a pivotal experience at a Ghanaian children’s home that sparked a gradual yet profound shift from a successful corporate career to a lifelong commitment to education. Through global professional experiences, pandemic-driven introspection, and years of hands-on work in Ghana and London, Salomey recognized the need for deeper leadership…

In this piece, Sunita Swaraj reflects on her journey from decades of educational leadership in India to becoming an Ed.M. candidate in the Education Leadership, Organizations, and Entrepreneurship (ELOE) Program at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Drawing on more than 30 years of experience as a teacher, school leader, and K–12 principal, Sunita explores…

In this piece, Janna Chowdhury reflects on her journey from first-generation college student in New York City to Ed.M. candidate in the Learning Design, Innovation, and Technology (LDIT) Program at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, concentrating in Higher Education. Drawing on her experiences as a multilingual high school teacher, college-access supervisor, and Gates Cambridge…

In this piece, Amy Gonzalez traces her journey from preschool read-alouds to becoming an Ed.M. candidate in the Teaching and Teacher Leadership (TTL) Program at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, showing how nearly two decades in Boston and Cambridge public schools shaped her commitment to literacy as liberation. At HGSE, coursework in literacy development,…

In this piece, Avida Martinez traces her journey from community college to the Harvard Graduate School of Education, showing how early experiences at a highly supportive community college shaped a lifelong commitment to higher education. Through transferring to UC Santa Barbara, working in transfer support roles, and later serving in higher education positions at UC…

In this piece, Dania Hassan reflects on her journey at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and challenges the misconception that an education degree leads only to classroom-based careers. Drawing on her background in business, she describes how HGSE’s interdisciplinary curriculum and cross-registration opportunities allowed her to design a highly customized academic path. Dania Hassan…

From São Paulo to San Diego to Boston, members of the Online Education Leadership (OEL) program bring decades of experience across K–12, higher education, global college counseling, equity and belonging work, and the arts. In this post, Anelisa Boer Macedo, Judith Blanco, Dawn Joves, and Ramone Owens share their professional journeys, what led them to…

Meet Andrea Le (she/her), Associate Director for Community Building and International Student Support in the Office of Student Affairs and an HDE ’23 alum. From pre-arrival webinars to on-campus and virtual community-building, Andrea shares how HGSE supports international students at every stage and why global perspectives are essential to our mission to Learn to Change…

Get to know the leaders behind HGSE’s Online Master’s Programs who help make virtual learning feel connected, personalized, and community-centered. In this feature, Nicole, Marcela, and Hameedha share what they find most meaningful about HGSE’s vibrant online community, what excites them about the future of online learning, and why students should always feel empowered to…