Be A Global Citizen!

Nate Maynard is an environmental consultant, advisor, and researcher. His focus is on energy, ocean, and waste issues. With eight years of experience working across Asia, he has helped to inform and create new policies with governments and companies alike in the pursuit of wider sustainability measures for a better future. We discuss his personal background where hardships and larger questions of...

Colleen Tully is an indigenous and latina educator who is an education advocate for undocumented students and refugee students in foster care. She works at the Children’s Home of Poughkeepsie in New York. Her personal story of uncovering and honoring her own indigenous and latina roots informs the work she does with vulnerable communities. She emphasizes the need to be empathetic and sensitive to...

Ryan Allen is an Associate Professor of International and Comparative Education and Leadership at Soka University of America. Ryan has lived in different parts of the world that have greatly influenced his sense of identity and his approach to learning from others. When it comes to his work with students, he exercises empathy to understand their needs and help guide them towards becoming global ci...

Abir Catovic is the school founder of a K-12 faith-based school with over three decades of teaching experience. She started off her professional career as a computer and electrical engineer. It wasn’t until after she had her first child that the thought of starting a school became her mission. Her journey of serving her community through her Islamist faith is one of her great passions in life. Abi...

Rebecca Liu is the Assistant Director of Undergraduate Studies at Duke Kunshan University. She shares her passion for serving students from all over the world. Students from Duke Kunshan University learn how to cultivate their own sense of rooted global citizenship. She speaks of her own journey to understand what this concept of rooted global citizenship means to her as she traveled from rural Ch...

Today on the podcast, I spoke with Suji Pyun about her thoughts on global citizenship. Suji is an education consultant who has extensive teaching experience in both South Korea and California. She identifies as Korean American and is part of the 1.5 generation. She shares about the work she does in mentoring students to craft their own stories and identities. There are great insights into the powe...

Today on the podcast, I spoke with Dani Zoorob about his thoughts on global citizenship. Dani is a Professor and Chairman of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Louisiana State University. He is passionate about education and how to engage his students to become capable and effective medical doctors. His greatest influences come from women and he is proud to advance medical research for...

Today on the podcast, I spoke with Abbie Steinbacher about her thoughts on global citizenship. Abbie works in the tech world as a marketing manager. She is passionate about using her expertise in marketing to create greater family engagement within school spaces. She started a kid’s yoga company and developed curriculum, teacher training programs, and children’s books on wellness and yoga. She enc...

Today on the podcast, I spoke with Alex del Carmen about his thoughts on global citizenship. Alex is an Associate Dean and professor of criminology at Tarleton State University. He is an expert in law enforcement and frequently speaks on topics/areas related to police practices, racism, racial profiling and cultural diversity. Being born in Nicaragua and later becoming an American citizen, he shar...

Today on the podcast, I spoke with Lisa Galdino about her thoughts on global citizenship. Lisa works with Head Start as a Talent Development Specialist. She has over 14 years of teaching experience in early childhood education and has lived in different countries such as Canada and Brazil. She speaks about how her mother’s initiative to begin a Family Child Center taught her the value of connectin...

Today on the podcast, I spoke with Michelle Niska about her thoughts on global citizenship. Michelle works for the Minnesota Department of Education as an English Learner Program specialist. She speaks about how empathy, compassion, and open mindedness need to be at the forefront of serving multilingual and multicultural families. Her experience is informed by a passion for learning as well as her...

Today on the podcast, I spoke with Salman Moti about his thoughts on global citizenship. Salman is the Director of Health System Quality and Operational Analytics at UT Southwestern Medical Center. Since an early age, he has been driven to understand the complexities around him to make better sense of the world. By navigating higher education as a first gen immigrant from Pakistan and exploring di...

Today on the podcast, I spoke with Peter Sagun about his thoughts on global citizenship. Peter is the PYP coordinator at a IB school in Nagoya, Japan.  He has also served in roles such as principal, deputy head of school, and IB coordinator across countries such as Kazakhstan, Sweden, and the Philippines. He shares his insights on the need to be more mindful of one’s school culture and the wider c...

Today on the podcast, I spoke with Zandra Pinnix about her thoughts on global citizenship. Zandra is a professor, biochemist and pre-health coach at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. She speaks about the many influential figures who guided and supported her to achieve big things. By anchoring her actions in faith, she speaks to making change in one’s community with a sense of joy and lo...

Today on the podcast, I spoke with Yuen Ip about his thoughts on global citizenship. Yuen is the chief executive officer at CPA Western School of Business. He has extensive leadership experience in areas such as higher education, healthcare, and accounting. From his formative years growing up in Spain, he speaks to why he is passionate about creating more access and opportunity for marginalized co...

Today on the podcast, I spoke with William Yip about his thoughts on global citizenship. William is a theater director and drama teacher. He is originally from Hong Kong and has been flying all around the world to spread his passion for theater within education. He speaks about his own journey as a teacher-facilitator and the profound influences that art has had on his character and personality. W...

Today on the podcast, I spoke with Muslimah Williams about her thoughts on global citizenship. Muslimah is an accessibility coordinator at Oberlin college. She talks about why her work to embrace and support students’ needs with kindness is rooted in her values as a global citizen. She believes that more empathy, more generosity of spirit, and more diversity with an open heart are key to fostering...

Today on the podcast, I spoke with Dr. Khalya Hopkins about her thoughts on global citizenship. Khalya is a special education instructional coach for the NYC department of education and an adjunct lecturer at Harvard University. She is passionate about racial equity, inclusive classrooms, culturally responsive education, and teaching. Her views on global citizenship center on lifting perspectives,...

Today on the podcast, I spoke with Rocio Mondragon Reyes about her thoughts on global citizenship. Rocio is a career development program lead in Sacramento. She also sits on the Board of a school that serves primarily a latino population. Her journey to become an educator started with an interest in immigration law. The story of her family and her parent’s undocumented status serves as a driving f...

Today on the podcast, I spoke with Liz Hara about her thoughts on global citizenship. Liz is a puppet builder and puppeteer for Sesame street. She also writes for television shows of different ages. She speaks about the magic of puppets and how they bring out one’s full imagination and wonder. Liz also brings up the importance of play as a way to build resiliency and joy. One of many takeaways fro...

Today on the podcast, I spoke with Mariah Nandyona about her thoughts on global citizenship. Mariah is a school administrator in Uganda. She has a strong background in finance, business, and accounting that informs much of the foundational work she is doing to lead her school community towards greater inclusion and higher academic achievements. She speaks about her growth as a school leader and th...

Today on the podcast, I spoke with Dr. Timothy McCarthy about his thoughts on global citizenship. Tim is a professor at Harvard University in both the graduate school of education and the Kennedy school of government. As a historian, he has a keen eye to make connections between events and peoples to reveal the stories that make history. Tim looks to his own personal history and the larger world h...

Today on the podcast, I spoke with Carolyn Siegel about her thoughts on global citizenship. Carolyn is associate director of college counseling at a private school in Los Altos, California. She has extensive teaching experience as a Spanish teacher and taught at the undergraduate level at Brown University. With her love of language and belief in the power of education, she speaks about what makes...

Today on the podcast, I spoke with James Austin about his thoughts on global citizenship. James is the assistant Superintendent for Finance and Operations at a PK-12 school district in Georgia. He shares his journey to find a career that combines finance and teaching. The many positive influences that his family has had on him demonstrates rootedness in his home state of Georgia, while expressing...

Today on the podcast, I spoke with Dr. Irvin Scott about his thoughts on global citizenship. Dr. Scott is a professor at Harvard Graduate School of Education. He shares some of his journey as an educator who sought after opportunities in school leadership to transform the lives of his community. He brings insight from an extensive portfolio working in classrooms, school districts, and foundations...