Be A Global Citizen!

Neera Sameda is the Director of Customer Success and College Coaching for CollegeConsulting. US . She comes from an immigrant family and speaks to her own childhood, navigating the beaches of Trinidad and Tobago and the urban streets of New Jersey. A big part of her story centers on her parent’s story of the American Dream. Neera speaks about her struggle to carve out her own narrative of the Amer...

Ian Read is the Associate Dean of Faculty at Soka University of America. He is a professor of Latin American Studies and his research has focused on the social, economic, and medical history of Brazil, particularly the history of slavery, race, and public health in the nineteenth century. Ian shares about what passion is and the implications of being passionate over the long run as a means to crea...

Maryke Luijendijk has worked in higher education for two decades in countries such as South Africa and the United Arab Emirates. Her path was informed by historic events like working on a large project in her early career to help merge two universities in South Africa in the wake of Apartheid. Other formative experiences of hotel management overseas in the UK were also important to show her the va...

Elaine De Velez is the CEO and Co-Founder of FrontLearners, an e-learning content and solution provider to boost student competency and to increase school enrollment. From her early childhood experiences of studying hard to make the most out of limited opportunities, she is committed to democratizing education in the Philippines by creating more avenues for young people to access high quality e-le...

Kumiko Hayashi is a director, producer, and educator who is passionate about uplifting and amplifying indigenous voices and their cultures through the art of storytelling. She has worked on media projects that document the traditions of indigenous communities who are seeking and building new paths of coexistence and harmony. This conversation provides insight into global citizenship as a way to br...

Amy White is an African American History Professor at Harlem Children’s Zone. She teaches 3rd–5th grade students to critically engage with history, identity, and the world around them. She is committed to equity, justice, and the limitless potential of every child. In our conversation, her passion for combatting systems of oppression is evident in her spirit to envision new pathways within educati...

Logan Stamey is the Class Dean at the Brunswick School in Greenwich, Connecticut. From an early age, he knew that teaching was his calling. Logan shares about how the belief that his teachers saw in him reflected in his own approach to mentoring young men to build their integrity and sense of responsibility. By making the most of each opportunity, Logan found his passion in teaching, theater, and...

Dora Pan is passionate about emergent technologies and the value of education in an ever changing society. She recently graduated from Harvard’s Learning Design, Innovation and Technology program. Prior to coming to Harvard, she worked as a high school English teacher at an innovative high school called Moonshot Academy in Beijing, China. She grew as an educator and engaged students in open inquir...

Margarita Adame is a learning strategist at the Clark County School District in Las Vegas, Nevada. She has decades of teaching experience as an elementary school teacher in various school districts across the United States. She speaks to her passion for conflict resolution as a tool in and outside of the classroom. As an undergraduate at Chapman University in Peace Studies, she jumped at an opport...

Lydia Musliu is the Elementary School Principal at Kosovo Leadership Academy. She is a dedicated teacher and school leader who is fostering the next generation of leaders in Kosovo. Her educator journey was largely influenced by her mother who used creativity to spark interest in all subjects. Lydia started teaching since she was in the 7th grade, and has built on her skills to serve teachers and...

Joe Aleardi is the Executive Director at Horizons Bridgeport, a non-profit created to serve the local youth in Bridgeport, Connecticut with academic and enrichment programs. His early career was spent as a lawyer and then a private wealth manager. With a strong desire to connect with people and extend his impact, he pivoted to teaching where he became an elementary teacher for Teach For America. W...

Byron Jon Aho is a cyber security specialist, project manager, and educator. His background is in construction and he incorporates much of his trade knowledge and skill into his leadership and business development for cyberspace security. He believes in creating a strong foundation to anchor oneself amidst an ever changing world. There are several values that he brings into the discussion like hum...

Gayl Porter-Laurel is the Chief Technical Policy Officer of the Second Congressional Commission on Education who is based in the Philippines. She started off her educator journey as an early childhood teacher who genuinely loved teaching, playing, and learning with her students. Her passion for teaching young people led her down new uncharted paths. From curriculum design to policy reform to syste...

Marijke Conklin is an elementary school teacher and instructional coach for the Oakland Unified School District. Her international perspective began in childhood where she spent her formative elementary school years living in Saudi Arabia. With a major change to return to the United States at the age of ten, she had to learn to navigate differences while building her sense of identity. Marijke has...

Benjamin Gulla is an experienced educator whose journey has taken him all over the world to places like South Africa and Colombia. His drive to learn more about the world around him through travel, books, and people speaks to his solid sense of being a global citizen. From designing classroom curricula to reimagining study abroad experiences, he is passionate about bringing students into new learn...

Lauren Jensen is a High School English teacher with over 20 years of teaching experience. Her journey as a teacher is about deepening her connection and impact with students. She is happiest in the classroom where she engages students to explore their identity and voice through writing. With the help of past mentor figures and current students, she is committed to highlighting the interconnectedne...

Robb Meade is a transition assistance program manager. He spent nearly a decade working in the US Navy. With a diverse skill set and adaptable mindset to try new and challenging things, Robb thrived in chaotic situations. His training came from being a pastry chef, and even extends back to his childhood years spent doing meal prep with his father in the kitchen. Robb has a unique journey of naviga...

Lauren Ebersol shares her journey as an educator and mother, detailing her transition from teaching in traditional classrooms to homeschooling her children. She discusses the challenges and joys of parenting, the importance of adaptability in education, and her experiences in a homeschool co-op. Within the homeschool co-op, she served on the Board of Directors and played a pivotal role during the...

Ankitt Agarwal is working on a masters of Learning Design, Innovation and Technology at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. He is originally from India and speaks to his childhood role models who helped him to pursue his education. From growing up in a rural village on the border of India and Nepal, Ankitt has broadened his global perspective by traveling within and outside of his home count...

Mandy Krause is a teacher and school leader based out of Lake Forest, Illinois. She reflects on her early global experiences, including studying abroad in Australia and teaching in China, which shaped her perspective on education and global citizenship. Mandy discusses the challenges of balancing her career and personal life, especially when she was a single mother, and emphasizes the importance o...

Kedaar Sridhar is currently doing a masters in Learning Design, Innovation and Technology at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. He was born and raised in Oman by immigrant parents from India and attended an international school from kindergarten up until high school. With such diverse influences, he identifies as a Third Culture kid and Global Citizen. Kedaar is passionate about the interse...

Xian Hui Ang is currently pursuing her masters in Human Development and Education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. She was a risk consultant in Malaysia for seven years working to build structures that mitigated crisis situations. However, her early career interests were in teaching. From the initial step of working at a kindergarten, she has maintained a strong desire to support learn...

Chuck Chaoke is the Head of Counselors and Coaching at Moonshot Academy in Beijing. His passion is to support his school community in finding their purpose through various curricula that he designs and implements. His school values the importance of reflective practices that are coupled with immersive experiences such as visiting and partnering with communities near and far. Chuck draws from his p...

Kiran Faridi is the founder and president of IAWV Elementary School. Her passion for education and commitment to fulfilling the needs of the Charleston Muslim community led her to lay the foundation of the first Islamic school in the state of West Virginia in 2019. Ms. Faridi has been devoted to education for over a decade. After earning her Islamic education speakers training from the Islamic Net...

Ashley Aluko is an Associate Director of DEI at a private school in Lakeville, Connecticut. She is passionate for history and has implemented innovative approaches to teaching history through pop culture references and meaningful role play. Ashley speaks to the need of using history as a lens through which we can better understand ourselves and the world around us. Her own ancestral roots in the C...