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Q:    What were the aspects about the mission of the Lynch School and ÇéÉ«¿Õ¼ä that appealed to you and your interests, and ultimately aided your growth as an educator?

ÇéÉ«¿Õ¼ä is big on social justice so that appealed to me immediately. I work in a Catholic school and I went to Catholic schools my whole life, so the Jesuit approach to education and to community was familiar in a great way. The mission at the Lynch School—seeing each child as an individual person, a human being that deserves the best education they can get—for me, this was crucial and inspiring. Even from our first class, Introduction to Educational Leadership, a whole section was dedicated to social justice leadership, which was wonderful. In general, the program taught educators how to be oriented to social justice in a way that supersedes religion. A lot of topics and ideas we talked about in my classes were not ideas I deal with on a day-to-day basis in my current job, but these conversations and ideas were useful as they still influenced my curriculum, my teaching, and my leadership. 

Q:    What are some aspects of the Lynch School that future students should be most excited about?

Honestly, there’s a lot to be excited about: the online experience, the connections, and the people—professors and peers are so supportive of each other. The online program is fantastic. It was well established before COVID and was running smoothly thanks to a phenomenal online platform. I’ll be honest: when I arrived at ÇéÉ«¿Õ¼ä, I was a little nervous about the online aspects of the program. But ÇéÉ«¿Õ¼ä’s online system is incredibly intuitive and carefully curated by the professors. If I were a future Lynch School student, I’d be excited that this was not a program that was born out of COVID, but one that had existed before and had time to work out various growing pains into a smooth and effective program. There are also so many opportunities to get involved and learn through hands-on experience that’s not simply theoretical. Even if you’re an online-only student, there are tons of opportunities that bring you to campus.

Q:    What were some of the unanticipated or unforeseen areas of expertise that you encountered at the Lynch School?

It was extremely encouraging that in many of our most important classes, like Instructional Leadership, as well as in our Law and Education class, we were learning from working professionals and experts in their various fields, such as a superintendent who was tasked with crafting the curriculum for her whole district, Pre-K through 12. She had the experience of being a teacher, and a principal, and a superintendent so her perspective was fascinating and so well informed. Same with the law class: the professor in that course had been a practicing lawyer who still wrote articles and Supreme Court briefs on educational issues. That level of expertise coming from the brilliant individuals who make up the Lynch School faculty, it really can’t be beat.

Q:    What would you say the Lynch School does to reinforce a sense of community?

In most of my classes, we were assigned study groups. And so anytime we had a virtual group project, it was with those people. What I really liked about this format was that those groups regularly changed, which forces you to work with everyone in the classroom. There are also ambassadors for the Educational Leadership program who reach out regularly, letting students know about various opportunities and events, both in-person and remote. So I would say the sense of community at the Lynch School lives inside and outside the classes, where students are encouraged to talk about their own experiences with education, both as a student and as an educator. And it’s a diverse group: educators from charter schools, vice principals, behavioral school teachers, Catholic school teachers, public school teachers, public school administrators. And we came from a variety of states and regions. 

Q:    How would you describe interactions with the faculty, and the relationships forged with your professors?

Amazing. I remember at the first open house I attended, I met Professor (Rebecca) Lowenhaupt, and she ended up becoming one of my favorite professors once I enrolled. She and others at the Lynch School helped me hone my interests and goals in a way that wouldn’t have been possible on my own. 

Q:    What was your favorite course at the Lynch School?

I would say it was either the law class, Education Law and Public Policy, or Instructional Leadership, which taught how to evaluate teachers through different modes of evaluation and how to create a curriculum. I also really enjoyed the practicum, because it gave us the chance to talk through different real-life issues from our respective schools and hear how our peers might deal with them.

Q:    What would your advice be to someone thinking about applying to this program?

I would say not to hesitate and to do it. Having an idea of what you hope to learn at the Lynch School before you arrive and what types of skills or expertise you’re hoping to develop can be helpful. However, it’s not a requirement. For me personally, I wasn’t entirely aware of my goals when I started the program and my advisor and professors were incredibly helpful at assisting me in articulating exactly what those goals were. So my advice would be to ask if you need help. Always ask questions and you’ll find that the nurturing environment at the Lynch School and the brilliant minds you’re surrounded by—they’ll guide you and help you figure out the rest.

Read more about Lynch School community members