Be A Global Citizen!

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 Carribeans and West Africa provide a personal glimpse into the complexity of Ashley’s own positionality in history. In addition, she offers a plethora of perspectives and ideas on how to become global citizens such as maintaining a duty to listen and exercising curiosity in others. Enjoy the conversation!

Roni Pavick is an interdisciplinary art and astronomy teacher at Boston Public Schools. She is also the astronomy director working with Harvard Smithsonian, and she is a lecturer and presenter at NASA on space exploration and the history of the space program. She shares how watching space launches and pursuing her passions in the arts blazed a unique path for her as an educator. Her perspective challenges the global and seeks to understand the cosmic. With great curiosity and wonder for the universe around us, Roni speaks about the need to take action at the local level and impart hope to the person right in front of you. Enjoy the conversation! 

Greg Daniel is the Chief of Staff to the Deputy Chancellor of the Division of Inclusive and Accessible Learning (DIAL) for the NYC Department of Education. He is a seasoned teacher and school leader who had his start with Teach For America.  With a passion for servant leadership and empowering students in underserved communities to find and use their voice, he shares about his extensive work with Democracy Prep, the public high school he contributed to as part of the founding faculty. With his dynamic school leadership as the school’s principal for over eight years to inform the scale of impact he seeks within education, he is pursuing greater heights as a school admin and leader within the NYC Department of Education. Tune into the podcast to learn more about Greg’s inspiring educational background and why he is fully on board with fostering more global citizens. Enjoy the conversation!

Pili Lindley is the Co-Founder and Head Counselor at the non profit organization SCORE in Lima, Peru. She is passionate about supporting students navigate through the college admissions process and cultivating within them the soft skills needed to find their way towards achieving career success. A major influence on Pili’s own education journey was her college experience debating in Model United Nations. With the experience she gained from getting out of her comfort zone to learn debate skills and think more internationally, she became inspired to share her passion with more students. There are fascinating insights about Pili’s personal and professional experiences with Model UN that have led her to the realization that she is fostering global citizens as a college counselor. Find out what Pili has to say about global citizenship!

Rommel Mejia is a special education teacher and school leader with 15 years of experience in the classroom. He is passionate about family and community engagement with an emphasis on social justice, inclusion, and culturally-responsive learning. From his own experiences going through schooling in the Philippines with the support of both his school and family, he advocates for students to feel a greater sense of belonging and value in their unique context. Much of our conversation centers on the importance of the community, and how students thrive in safe spaces that value their diversity and fully support their needs. Rommel strives to have a greater impact on the lives of his students and the many communities that they come from in Canada. Check out what Rommel has to say about the topic of global citizenship!

Lucia Sanchez is a Special Education teacher in the Franklin McKinley School District. She grew up on the east side of San Jose and her story is closely tied to her parent’s struggle in achieving the American Dream as Mexican immigrants. For her parents, it was about working multiple jobs with very little money to create the best conditions for their family. Education was a high priority, and Lucia excelled in school and earned her admittance into a masters program in education leadership at Harvard. Her journey is deeply rooted in the community. With her ambitions to pursue doctoral studies and launch entrepreneurial projects, Lucia is inspiring her community to dream bigger. Listen to what Lucia has to say about being a global citizen!

Mayra Da Rocha is a SLIFE (Students with Limited or Interrupted Formal Education) teacher at Boston Public Schools. She is the daughter of Brazilian immigrants who dedicated themselves to building community and advocating for legal protections for other immigrants in the Boston area. Mayra speaks about the profound influence her parent’s advocacy work had on her views on social justice. There are fascinating connections and parallels in Mayra’s own initiatives as a high schooler and the current initiatives that she encourages her own high school students to engage in. She views her work as necessary to unlocking the vast potential of SLIFE so that more opportunities will be available to them and their families. Listen to what Mayra has to say about being a global citizen!

Aaron Seria has a background in accounting, finance analysis, grants management, and leadership education. Currently, he works for Sound Transit in Seattle, Washington as their Senior Project Control Specialist. He shares a story about his ambition to build a small company out of a garage when he was in high school. From small beginnings to larger endeavors in governmental roles, he would continue to develop his leadership skills throughout his career. His passion for working with individuals and teams to achieve success is what drives his growing interest in leadership education. Listen to what Aaron has to say about global citizenship!

Chelsie Wong is a current student at the Harvard Graduate School of Education in the Human Development and Education program. She is a dual citizen of Hong Kong and Canada. She talks about how she navigated these cultures by persevering in the face of homesickness and expanding her sense of self by embracing the local culture. A core pillar of her identity is family. She shared a multi-generational story that informs her ability and desire to forge a new path into different cultures. Chelsie is a global citizen who establishes her sense of home based on friends and family. Hear what she has to say about her journey of expanding her perception of identity as a global citizen.

Zaher Ibrahim is a coach and leader who is passionate about supporting individuals and organizations to become more thoughtful and effective global leaders. He shares about his struggle to build his own sense of self through transforming and reframing his traumas growing up in a war-torn country of Lebanon, leading an unsatisfying early career in civil engineering, and confronting his personal and familial relationships. Zaher’s story is one of recognizing that his past experiences hold tremendous value to inform his human-centric approach to coaching professionals. It is also a story of seeking truth and honoring his strong spiritual connections. Check out what Zaher has to say about being a global citizen who strives to make an impact and lead a contributive life.