Jason Lions is the regional vice president for Center for Social Dynamics. He has worked as a teacher, coordinator, principal, superintendent, and executive across public and private schools in the United States. He shares about how he was able to transform his childhood trauma into fuel for fostering young people as capable learners with a mission for society. With a deep sense of appreciation for his mother and the Buddhist community that supported him, Jason wants to contribute to the transformation of education in the United States and worldwide. Check out this wonderful conversation about humanistic education, the importance of genuine friendship within the community, and the power of life-to-life encounters that can change the world. Enjoy! 

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! 

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!  

#Fulbright #FulbrightTeach #FulbrightFinland #NYSEC #NYSECTeach #HGSE #Harvard

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.