Generosa Sangco-Jackson is a PhD in Classics and Classical Languages from the University of Florida and a recent graduate from the masters in Education Leadership at Harvard Graduate School of Education. She is a first generation college student and speaks about her journey studying and teaching Latin. Her sense of awe and wonder about ancient mythology and civilizations is still very much intact from her middle school years. Through reading literature and poetry in Latin, she reflects on how our society has much more in common with ancient peoples than we realize. She offers up a longer timeline of history and inquisitive lens to examine which lessons from the past allow us to chart new pathways into the future. Enjoy what Generosa has to say about the study of ancient languages and the practice of global citizenship in our current times.
Larry Meadows Jr is a recent graduate from the Education Leadership Doctorate program at Harvard Graduate School of Education. His career started in finance and accounting and later shifted to the non profit space and then once again to schools. His career pursuit has been to make an impact on young people with an emphasis on family and community engagement. Larry draws from his adolescent years growing up in the Washington DC area to inform how he approaches mentorship, leadership, and community. Our conversation looks at the importance of having a role model, building a positive identity rooted in community, and making an impact with a greater sense of responsibility and appreciation. Enjoy what Larry has to say about being a global citizen!
Reem Olaby is an accomplished pharmacist, educator, researcher, and leadership trainer with more than 15 years of scientific research experience and 14 years of higher education teaching. She currently serves as an Associate Professor of Pharmacology & Biotechnology at California Northstate University and is pursuing her master’s in higher education leadership at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. With clear values and a desire to learn from those who are different from us, Reem speaks to why this ability to step beyond one’s immediate bubble is vital to create ripple effects towards a better world. This conversation spans the humanities in science to the role of empathy to amplifying voices through social media. Enjoy our conversation about how compassion and empathy lay the groundwork for nurturing global citizens!
Alex Smith is the Executive Director of an Early Childhood Center in Pottstown, Pennsylvania. He has taught at the preschool and kindergarten levels for over 20 years and is passionate about shaping young learners to uncover their unique interests and strengths. He is driven by the philosophy that every child deserves excellent educational opportunities and that we achieve that by partnering with families. From his many personal and school-based anecdotes of serving families, it is evident that Alex believes in the power of connection and the hope it creates for the wider school community. Check out what Alex has to say about being a global citizen!
Chirag Patel is an educator, writer, and media specialist who lives in Los Angeles. He is the son of immigrants and was taught by his parents the value of grit and resilience. Throughout his studies and career, Chirag has been driven to learn from others and reflect on his own impact. Our conversation centers on the role that friendship plays in cultivating oneself as a global citizen. From each individual thread that connects us to another person, the idea is that we form a fabric of human relations that represents who we are. With great stories and deep insight from diverse experiences, Chirag shares that being a global citizen has a lot to do with the willingness to engage with others and have an open mind. Enjoy the conversation!
Rasheen Jamison-Richardson is the non profit founder of Legacy School of Performing Arts. With over two decades of teaching experience in music, she created her own school to cultivate the creativity and passion of youth through musical expression. Her educator journey has been one of transforming suffering and hardship into strength and resilience. Despite suffering a stroke, Rasheen drew strength from her community and faith, and owned her story of redemption. Recently, she launched a podcast called ‘The Table of Redemption’ where she outlines a framework for redemption specifically for those school educators and leaders who may be on the brink of burnout. Rasheen is passionate about empowering more people to grow as resilient leaders who are prepared to face life’s challenges. Check her thoughts on the relationship between being a global citizen and being a resilient educator.
Cristi Marchetti is passionate about making a positive impact through her love of literature and teaching. She has experience as an independent publicist in her early career and later discovered that working with young people and cultivating their curiosity about the world is where she wanted to make her greatest impact. She speaks about her desire to connect the local with the global and the importance of modeling resilience within the classroom. A powerful driver of Cristi’s conception of global citizenship came from six months of research based at Queen’s University Belfast through the Fulbright Distinguished Award in Teaching Research program. Cristi is in her second year of the masters in education leadership at Harvard Graduate School of Education where she is honing her skills and expanding her network to make even greater societal change. Enjoy the conversation!
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Sandy Arntzen is a Los Angeles-based educator who works with children to help them achieve their fullest potential. She takes the time to build trust with students one-on-one and addresses both their academic and emotional needs through various approaches that cultivates their innate desire to learn and be their authentic selves. She mostly works with clients from ages 3 to 21 with autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). In our conversation, Sandy talks about the importance of educators being the cheerleader for their students in order for them to feel safe and motivated to learn. From her decades of study and practice as an educational consultant and therapist, she understands how vital a student’s context is to making headway in connecting with them. Enjoy learning more about Sandy’s approach to leaning in with curiosity and purpose as well as her thoughts on the concept of global citizenship.
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 American Dream while honoring her family’s sacrifices. She made the difficult decision to pivot away from medical school to pursue her passion of supporting students in the college admissions process. Neera shares about how her version of the American Dream helped to empower her as a global citizen who is contributing to new immigrant youth. Check out Neera’s story!
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 creating value in society. He cites empathy, creativity, and curiosity as important attributes of a global citizen. He also discusses important considerations about the relationship between global citizenship and AI technologies. Enjoy the conversation!
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 value of learning with people of different backgrounds. Maryke sees the potential in people and finds creative ways to bring them together. Her insights into bridging differences is very fitting for this conversation about global citizenship. Enjoy learning about Maryke’s journey from South Africa to the world.
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-learning content. Elaine’s career background is in chemistry where she worked for a large multi national corporation. Despite retiring from that career, she felt a new calling to increase her impact through education. Elaine represents what it means to bring a global vision to her country. She inspires countless young people to study and unlock their full potential. Enjoy what Elaine has to say about being a global citizen!
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 bring together the mind and heart towards a common goal: peace and mutual respect. It is moving to learn about the courageous efforts of global citizens like Kumiko who strive to bring more awareness about the value of different cultures to the world. Kumiko has worked on larger documentary projects like the ‘Women of the White Buffalo,’ and she is soon to release her own documentary called ‘The Roots Awaken.’ Enjoy what Kumiko has to say about being a global citizen!
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 education for marginalized youth to flourish. Amidst the political climate that seeks to eliminate DEIJB, Amy is firm in her resolve to create spaces of belonging that connect people to their deepest humanity. Enjoy this conversation about recognizing, uplifting, and fighting for diversity in all its local and global forms.
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 mentorship. He emphasizes servant leadership as a key component to being a global citizen. In order to improve the world for others it starts with how we willingly accept responsibility to take action for others. Enjoy the conversation!
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 inquiry. Also, Dora draws on her experience in media as a reporter for the China Global Television network. She speaks about the need for global citizens to lead with empathy and humility in growing their own lived experiences. Enjoy the conversation!
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 opportunity to study abroad in Jerusalem. Her experience was a powerful one and solidified her mindset as a global citizen. She emphasizes the need for us to not insulate and isolate ourselves. Enjoy our conversation!
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 help them reach their full potential. With Lydia’s current role at the Kosovo Leadership Academy, she is excited to see what the next decade will bring in terms of social and educational benefits for Kosovo as a young country. Check out what Lydia has to say about the intersections between leadership and global citizenship!
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. With a rekindled passion for serving young people within educational spaces, Joe helped to create a non-profit in his community. He believes that global citizens require a multitude of skills to set themselves up to succeed as active and compassionate people within society. Enjoy our conversation!
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 humility and perseverance that speak to his views on global citizenship. Enjoy the conversation!
