Virtual Information Session for Prospective Students of Color

Hi everyone, we're going to get started shortly. I want to do a quick testing of the mic so if you can hear me. Please let me know the chat again will get started shortly. But if you can hear me. Please let me know in the chat.

Awesome it sounds like quite a few people are hearing us if you are having trouble. I recommend either using Google Chrome or fire. Fox and refreshing and signing in one more time. It looks like we still have plenty of people coming into work give it another minute or so, but let us know if you're having trouble and we see a lot of great people. Coming from like North Carolina, Texas. So we're excited to talk to all of you tonight. So we'll check back in a minute.

Alright we'll get started again if you're having trouble with either the audio individual. Refresh your browser. We recommend either Google Chrome or Firefox, but we'll kick-off the night now.

Let's see so first of all. Thank you for joining us and taking an hour out of your busy schedules in your day. I know we're really excited to kind of share a little bit of HTC the community and I'm joined by several current students. Another staff member on the campus as well as an alumna and so this session is really intended to kind of give voice to the student experience here at HTC from the perspective of students of color and so we're really excited for.

Chatting with you and kind of sharing a little bit more of our school.

As you can see here. Here's the agenda for the day and we're going to start with introductions that convention have several people in the room who will be chatting with you answering the questions so. Thank you for all those that submitted questions for this virtual. We had a lot of questions and so will try to get through as many as possible during the next hour will start out with talking a little bit about the community. The breakdown of the students here at HGC then we'll go into student support and resources and then finally.

Here from the students in the Illinois themselves.

So First off with introductions my name is Bola Munoz. I am assistant director of admissions here at HTC I'm also a graduate of the EPM program. Just graduated this past free so that was really exciting and amazing an I use the pronoun, she, her in her.

So I'm Tracy Jones, she, her hers directed diversity inclusion and belonging here at the Ed School.

Hi I'm tell he debaker she, her hers. Iama currently DOD student here at Harvard University.

Hi my name is Charles Romley, I'm occuring pronouns, he him he him. His current EDM sitting here at home studying education policy and management.

Hi I'm Amy do Levis ego and I use the she series pronouns, and I also graduated with Paula in the EPM program this past spring.

Hi everyone, my name is Michelle von my gender. Pronouns are also from the C Series. I am also a part of the EPM program here at home Z.

Wonderful so will jump right into the community here at HGC so this past fall. We welcome 673 students to campus 50 of which were doctoral in the remaining things master students of those joining us 26% were male, while 74% were female, 1/4 of the students were international Anna 3rd self identified as soon as a color.

The briefcase is at the bottom of the slide represent the years of work experience that our students come to us at HGC some join us. After just completing a bachelors degree while others come to us with 30 plus years of work experience and so you really are in a community that has various different experiences in different work fields as well. So not everyone is coming in joining us straight from education and you can also see the breakdown through all the different.

History proves that we have here for the Masters. The average years of work experience is 4.2 for the Doctor of Education leadership. That's ten point three years in for the PhD is 5.2 years and then finally I do want to draw your attention that 96% of our students are enrolled full time and it's just speaks to the commitment that our students have to fully engage in their studies themselves and with one another and I think this really builds a stronger sense of community here at HDSE.

I do wanna kinda breakdown since this a session does focus on kind of the students of color perspective, so break those down a little bit more. So 10% of students do identify as African American or black up less than one person identified as American Indian or Alaska native 10% identify as Asian while another 10% identify as Hispanic or Latin Acts of any race and 3% as 2 or more races.

So now that you know a little bit of who you will be learning with I kind of wanted to talk about what you may be learning a little bit about within the classes and so on this slide. You can see a few of the core samplings that integrate diversity into their course work and I was just kind of curious from you guys sitting here with me today. Have you taken any of these classes and we might want to share about your experience with them.

Uhm actually take drivers Gibbons course in the history of African American education my experience there's been like.

Super positive from Mega Curriculum standpoint alot of the lot of the reading and content. That's on the syllabus like I haven't been exposed to before I'm kind of getting an insight into kind of how like in education was cultivated.

Cause we don't alongside the carbon school movement here was like has been super enlightening so I really enjoyed that class.

Wonderful thank you for sharing.

All right, so next I'm going to pass it over to my colleague.

So we were talking about classes in you know, there is diversity opportunities beyond the classroom and a lot of students of color come to Harvard wondering what can I do to stay engaged in social justice work? To really talk about what it means to have a diverse community here at the edge school and we have opportunities for you to bring speakers to do workshops symposiums. In that through the diversity Innovation Fund. We have that fun. We have deadlines 6 times a year 3 in the fall through the semester.

You come up with an idea or proposal of budget and will help make that idea come to life. The other way to stay engaged with diversity is the Dean's Advisory Committee on equity and diversity in on that committee or faculty, staff and students talk about issues that are happening at the school ways. We can improve our policies. Our classroom experience as well as the social experience for the entire community and that's a direct conversation with the Dean.

I'm so students can apply we only take 3 students. They represent each program and Masters program. EDL deprogramming PhD program. But I think it's a great opportunity. If you're interested in Higher Education administration and how policies move forward and how voices recognize that you should apply for the program. The other is the equity and Inclusion Fellows Program, I run that program. It's for students who actually want to take a deeper dive into diversity. They want to look at it as a practitioner.

Uh we do workshops throughout the Ed School but also throughout Harvard and I think it's a really great opportunity to see how the other schools operate an how diversity inclusion and belonging show up on other campuses. You know what are the conversations they want to have? What are the issues that they are faced with and part of the program? Which is a year long you get that type of facilitation training as well as a four credit class.

They talked a little about diversity, but um your student here in life happens in the office of Student Affairs is here to support you. We are your first point of contact at orientation. We put an orientation and where your last point of contact at Commencement. So you will know us in love, us, but when things come up. We're also here for student support. A lot of times you get here and you're overwhelmed with everything that's happening and sometimes you just need support.

That could be around mental health support services. It could be just someone to talk to it could be for writing and reading. We would be your first point of contact if you have a disability or you need an accommodation or while you are in school in something happens that you needed accommodation. You would come to the office of student affairs for that.

We provide international student support. We have a dedicated person in our office to do that to make sure that international students are getting the support they need not just with paper work, but also with getting involved in the community and also finding their own place in the community. We have housing resources and information you can reach out for information before you're a student while your student we try to provide as much information as possible. Boston you know as a town that is pretty expensive just to let you know that, but there are opportunities.

Try to fan housing under market rate, and then of course, diversity and inclusion. I sit in that office as well.

In all our community wide events come out of the office of Student Affairs.

Right before we got on the car. We were talking about affinity spaces and so I want to acknowledge that we don't have brick and mortar spaces here at Harvard. But we do have affinity student organizations and these are the organizations that we see pretty much every year. The majority of our students and Masters students. So it's like a nine month program so a lot of our organizations don't always get renewed but the Black Student Union community mix of fierce.

Mixed the pan Asian Coalition for education. Anna women of color collective are all student or exact constantly get renewed every year. The alumni of color conference is not an organization but it is an affinity space. We bring along back to campus to talk about issues that concern communities of color.

People actual what resources do you have for me as a person of color and they're generally the same resources for everyone, but there are some centers that are focused on identity and now we save. the Hudson Center. The Voice Research Institute. They have traveled grants. But they also have Fellows. They have the hip-hop archives in our students should take advantage of everything that they have a lot of times people don't get of- of Appian way. But there is so much richness to what's happening outside of the community.

The Harbor University, Asia Center, they have lectures. They're visiting Fellows. They also have funding for travel. David Rockefeller Center for Latin American studies and then the Harvard University Native American program, although centers do have funding, infrared school students. I try to let them know if your master student soon as you get on campus. You want to learn about the funding opportunities because you can only take advantage in the fall semester 'cause, a spring semester graduating.

So resources and support these are some of the primary resources and supports that students are looking for counseling and mental health services. Typically, everyone has to take the student health insurance. This is a part of your insurance. We have individual 1 on one counseling and group counseling. We have a support group for students of color. We also have a support group for women of color. So I encourage people to go to those support groups. 'cause there throughout the universe. It's not just the Ed School. We have a Center for Wellness. You get massages and there's yoga and.

Acupuncture I tell people take advantage of it. I do academic Resource Center, which is really important. A lot of people are just coming back to school and you know haven't been writing or doing close readings in awhile and so we have 101 support as well as group support for that.

And one of the most important things is careers development center UM soon as you get accepted they start sending you information from the career services office I always encourage people to take advantage of the relationship and stay in your office and make them work for their paychecks because I think that's why you're here you're looking to enhance your career.

Alright so now we're going to happen to that student experience like I said, we had plenty of questions. So I will take a few questions during the chat when I really let them take control of this next session. But if you have questions about admissions financial aid. The application, I will share my information on lot R at the very end of this slide deck and so feel free to contact me also talk about different resources that you can get more information on those topics, but I think the next 40 minutes or so.

Hearing from the students themselves and experience is going to be kind of what makes this virtual very beneficial and helpful for you. I hope so. This question is for everyone to answer where are you from and what were you doing before you enrolled at HD SD?

Alright so high everyone again. This is Tawhida Baker Jones, just going in order so I am from Newark NJ. Proudly, born and raised and before coming to HTC I was at the US Department of Education as a school ambassador fellow prior to that. However, I was a Superintendent of a charter organization in New Jersey and I've been a principal teacher, both in LA Los Angeles Unified School District.

In New York City in Newark school districts as well.

Uh I was the Sean John Lee once again. I came from the from the Bronx in New York, so shut up the blocks in the chat so jealous? Yeah.

What was I doing before I came here? I was working for the New York Public Library and I was facilitating I was leaving so different after school program for high school students. There called Bridger. We did a lot of test prep homework help like kind of helps like student advocacy letter went to.

Transmission officers like in lieu of parents with parents and things of that nature can partner with the schools in the families to make sure our students get the most out of their educational experience. And we also facilitated our own internal curriculum around things that we have staff felt were reported in something like workshops around financial literacy consent, things that major things that we felt like students should have access like knowledge. Those who should have access to given the University space that they were going to be happening after that.

Cool high the saving so you can uh where am I from uhm. I grew up in a boring suburban Connecticut. I didn't see that one in the chat that's fine, not missing much before rolling at hugs. EI was I've been living in Boston since like 2014 an I was working at this nonprofit doing Sean was saying. This, after school program. But for 5th and 6th grade students. We have a summer and weekend program to help students prepare to enter a selective public exams.

On the Boston and also the prep schools around here, so I did that for 3 years before that. I was teaching at a charter school in Boston. I taught 7th and 9th grade. Chinese cool not alone. Yeah, Milford, CT. It's lame? Why did choose to attend Huskies at the other question or is that like skip ahead afternoon. Everyone this is Michelle so I'm from Los Angeles, CA so a long way from home definitely braving it through this cold weather now.

Uh prior to coming to HTC so for the past 7 years I've been working or I was working with just various college access and success initiatives at a charter management organization, most recently. I was leading the college career and social emotional learning components of a federal grant program, called Europe. So I was doing things such as developing curriculum training counselors working with principals and teachers to develop to implement a college career advisory curriculum that I developed as well.

Managing some Super Fancy consultants that were helping us out. Um, I was also leading the development of various counselor capacity initiative. An alumni support initiatives so I developed a student transition coordinator role at a high school, which was solely focused on supporting our alumni from the organization. I also did some work with hiring part time staff to support with various kind of early career exploration an college prep initiatives early on.

But you are really deeply engaged in your work so it makes me think why did you choose HTC and what made you choose to attend at this time, like? What was your decision making process?

Yeah, so for me, I had always wanted to do a this is how he to by the way so he did bigger shows. I had always wanted to do a doctoral program and just given the life. They just never was like the right time as I mentioned I was at the US Department of Ed I started in July. I left it all get the September actually under the current administration and I was at a crossroads in my career and I was like when am I going to do now.

Um and a friend of mine, said you know you've always been wanting to go into adopter program. Why not do that. and I looked at various programs and what appealed to me about the Doctorate of Education leadership here is that it was a practice based program. I knew I didn't want to go into research. So I didn't want to spend 3 four years of my life, learning how to be a researcher and I knew that's not what that wasn't what I wanted to do so. This is why I selected this particular program. It was the only program I could find of its kind.

In addition to the full funding package that is really nice that it comes with an I do not regret my decision not 1 bit.

I mean, everybody Sean here uhm. I think my decision to come to housing now had a lot to do with the fact that I did a lot of learning on the ground within the nonprofit space prior to working with a little Public Library. I did in America program called public allies an which is like a combo like apprenticeship in full time work experience program and then also allows at the New York Public Library. I did a fellowship called the Filestream Asian emerging leaders in public service. I don't want you.

I'm so I did like with that learning on the ground. I kind of took him a lot of information like through my experiences and decided that like a Masters degree was having necessary for me to occupy the kinds of spaces that I want to talk about and do the level work that I wanted to do I feel like I felt like I've maxed out my capacity in the in the role that I was filling at the time specifically so that that had a lot to do with me decided to continue my education and as far as like.

Making a decision to come to hug the specifically I think that I was super attracted to the kind of the breath of like options that there are here with the way the Masters program is constructed and there's no there's not a lot of set course work and I kind of like creating navigate my own path that was super important to me and also the kind of vastness of the hugs E network kind of spread out spread out across the country and put like specifically on the East Coast, where like I'd like to rename wasn't very attractive option for me.

As far as like coming here specifically.

Cool, hi. This is Amy Julie said go ahead and again. Um Yeah, a similarly like I was also in a space where I had been at a nonprofit for a while working in the very much direct service program management space and I don't know if we have seen the show insecure on HBO, but it kind of felt like that, well, I felt like alright. I feel like I've been doing a lot and I can only get so far, with where I am and I really wanted to kind of broaden my impact and yeah, so.

And I think also having lived in Boston. I've often like ran into people who were hugs. Yeah, love. In some way or another and heard a lot of great things about the program. Ultimately, what influence my decision making process. I was really on the fence. I mean living in Boston and I knew I wanted to like not do a crazy move so only applied to schools, like in this area to be honest. So then this like radius. Yeah, Boston, a lot of options, but then I think what won me over was an OSA organized event or maybe it was an admissions event.

Uh inviting admitted students to come like hang out and I think I was seduced by just like how happy everyone was. I felt like the community seems really powerful and I was really on the fence about Harvard. But when I visited I was like Oh, OK, you won me over this is Michelle so prior to coming here like I mentioned I was working for 7 years and very similarly. I felt like I had hit that capacity at where I was at and also to be very transparent.

I was also just getting tired of being overlooked for leadership positions, especially as a woman of color and seeing some of my white colleagues in the spaces where I was at getting promoted even without Masters degrees and I'm sure many of you have experienced this like we have to have those extra degrees. We have to have these big names on our resume so that's partly why. I really wanted to come here and also I was just ready to create a much larger impact for communities of color, so the reason why I chose Harvard specifically so some of the reasons why Sean mentioned with the flexibility in the curriculum after working for 7 years.

I had a pretty clear direction as to what I wanted to do next. So I didn't want to have to take classes. That kind of regurgitated things that I had already been exposed to very, very deeply and that some of the things that you deal with when you go to different programs where there's a set like list. Of course, is that you have to fulfill technically if you are not familiar with Doctor Karen Map, who does amazing work and family engagement and leadership at the district level definitely look her up. She was one of the biggest reasons why I came here.

Followed her work her work had used it a lot in some of the family engagement work that I've done in the past, so being able to learn under her leadership was really important to me also too. I only went to school I went to school at UCLA. State on the West Coast. I really wanted an experience outside of that side of the world, so I figured why not?

Awesome so and you all don't have to answer this question. But I want to name that Harvard is one of the most elite universities in the world over 380 years old, and with that comes some of that history so.

How does it feel to be a student of color here HD SD? What is your experience been like so far and have you been able to make community here in? What supports an resources? Have you used to acclimate yourself to the school in the University at large.

Then I'm so to be completely honest coming here was a little scary. We know the name. It is a predominantly white institution. So I was really scared about what the transition was actually going to like here to my surprise, though like during that first week just because all of the events are like they are created with a lot of intention. I was able to quickly find my space in my community here much faster than I thought I would so it definitely helped just feeling comfortable from the get go also just.

At least for me to support and resources have really been doctor map will let me vent when I'm feeling frustrated about things but also the affinity groups. I'm a part of Konidala Index. Anna part of the black student union and I've been able to kind of find my place and find my home in a place that super far from home.

All right, so the next question for you in what ways has HDS even different from what you expected and what would you have liked to know when you are perspective student?

I think uh I think for me. Uh I guess I didn't really expect or like have an understanding of what it would feel like to suddenly walk into this space with like a ton of privilege at Harvard, so for my background on my family is an immigrant and refugee family and I was like the 1st in the first generation of my family to go to a 4 year college and to get access a magical education, so for me, I think.

It was still kind of surprising to me when I would realize what like weird way in like power. We were able to wield with like I was also involved in the student affinity group Asimov and paste. The pan Asian Coalition for education and I was surprised at just like the type of things that we were able to do as a community or like the type of voice. We were able to have so I was a student last year when the affirmative action case. SFA versus Harvard was really prominent and with all the other University groups of the other graduate schools, a lot of us organized in support of affirmative action. I remember

Like it was really important for especially on group at the Ed School to be vocal about that and to talk about the opportunities for solidarity across communities. So yeah, that has been like surprising to me. Just like the really awesome. People meet in the type of yeah, interesting power and privilege that can come with the name. I would echo that this is how he to this is my second year here and I agree with Amy. It took me awhile to get used to the privilege and just the.

Resources at the school has I too like Michelle went to UCLA for undergrad, which is also a very rigorous and competitive school. However, the level in access of resources that you have here at this institution is unparalleled in literally. You could think of whatever. You want to do here it. It can happen, I. It took me so long to like my mind around that, like Oh. I had this idea. And this is what I would like to do and then there would be.

Resources behind that idea uhm so that was something that was different in, not what I had expected so it's like even for me like last year. We won the president's innovation challenge for a business that we're trying to start I wanted to go to Thailand to study the educational system. There 'cause, they had just passed the equitable education at and I was able to get funding to visit Thailand for 14 days to study that so like things like that are just.

Opportunities that I had not thought where the big possible that became possible here at this institution, so I would echo that sentiment as well.

So have any of you experienced a challenge related to your race or ethnicity and how did you navigate this experience?

This is Talia Uhm I would say so. There's a world of HTC that is the bubble of HTC and then there's a world that is outside of these gates. I have not experienced many challenges related to my race or ethnicity here on campus, thankfully. I have a very a cohort my cohort is very close knit. We talk about issues of race and ethnicity and I feel like the.

The UM College, an HTC in particular does a lot of work to surface issues of race and ethnicity and identity so Fortunately while I'm here? I don't have very many challenges outside of the heart. HDSC community like 'cause. I also live off campus in apartments that are off campus. I have had experiences there and I know of people who have had experiences in the community at large related to their race.

Like this year alone. I know of 3 African American women have had the police called on them at their apartment homes. I was one of them and so you do experience. Those types of things outside of the HTC community. But I always tell people like this is a bubble don't get fooled by this bump. You're in a bubble when you're here at HD SD but after you leave this bubble and you go out into the larger Boston community engaged with the larger Boston community.

That would be my my take on that and how I've been able to navigate that was just keeping that Top of mind for myself and not getting food by the illusion that is HTSC.

Now the question is have you felt that you've been able to bring your authentic self into the classroom and beyond? Why and how?

I definitely feel like I have this is Michelle by the way so even though like the stats show that.

There is not like we're not a large large community here at hugs Edo. But like we're such a force and even in the classes that you're taking and Whatnot. At least in my experience I'm surrounded by people who are like me and.

We just get into like being able to just engage in such fruitful dialogue, which may not be easy. All the time. But there has not been a point in our classrooms that we have not felt comfortable expressing what we truly believe about some of the topics that have come up, I can not to get too deep in an example. But one of the common kind of Reoccurrences has been in our state policy class and we all know what the political landscape. Looks like and how frustrating it is and sometimes we have to kind of navigate.

The frustrations right with what it really is. What professors are sharing its life, but also understanding that we are trying to challenge the status quo and it's kind of been a part of that process. For me, but yeah, no point have I felt that I couldn't bring my whole self in my own morals and values and wants with kind of the system that I'm trying to change here.

Yeah, this is kind of related to the previous question. But I think from having like grown up in the northeast and having lived in Boston as a young professional Boston is you know like notoriously white an racist in a lot of ways, but I think what's unique about being at hug. See is that I feel like I am not like the only one who would like question our talent, something which is nice 'cause. I feel like in the work environment? Why was I definitely felt like Oh it's me and Mike my one friend who both are like the people who are over critical or like especially radical or whatever.

Here, I never feel like that's the case at all like I'm the person who has to push things there's always other colleagues around or classmates who are at least thinking through and asking similar types of like critical questions in class so I really appreciate that.

So, just to build off of that. However, identities been reflected in the work you engage in here at HGC and that could be inside the classroom as well as outside of the classroom.

Sean here, I think as far as outside of the classroom and identity representation is definitely been through participation in affinity groups like as far as participating on like the External Engagement Committee for the LM not color conference or like being the Treasurer BS. You have been really great experiences in game have given me the opportunity to kind of like really holy bring my identity until like the work that I'm doing my thing simultaneously as far as like inside of the classroom.

I'm working on a project right now for through one course through course called deeper learning where charter school like it, though excuses charter school at Brooklyn, has a staff member that kind of tapped the professor and asked if I kind of like an alternative senior year experience can be mapped out or drawn out, like like through a project done by us whereby 'cause they kind of had low college retention numbers. And they were interested in kind of like you know, increasing the topic, however, such an exaggeration numbers.

And that's cool Brooklyn is largely comprised of you know, black and Latino kids alive next kids and I think that, like having the opportunity to engage with content that directly affect them, who like kids who have experienced that look like we have an experience that's very similar to leave from New York and going to a school that you know like facilitates a message of kind of like you know, maybe that doesn't necessarily have the breath or the like.

Like the curricular choice and agency or facilitate that process that we do get to do in the class and kind of put some kind of bring that there had to be executed in real-time and have the opportunity to next year. Go to the school and see that program at work within that space is like a really cool opportunity, I would add this is In addition to that. I know for me, I was one of the first EDLD students to be able to teach your course here at hugs E so I was hired as an adjunct professor to teach a course on diverse learners.

To uh to students who are looking to be certified to be teachers and that was very exciting to me because most of the people in that program are white. Teachers in being able to give them a background and develop their cultural responsiveness and acumen was highly important for me an I spoke to the director of the Harvard Teaching Fellows program. It was able to teach that course and actually I'm currently helping to design A course called Equity and action.

Um had a design school systems for anti racist teaching. It's so having the opportunity to actually infer the develop the coursework and curriculum here at HGC to allow students here to engage in courses that allow them to amplify their identity and see how they can use it to move changes. School systems has been important for me and I've always been giving opportunities by the administration to bring that here for students to experience.

So Amy this question is directly HTC support, students with color define employment after program completion. That's a tough one. I think you know with the Masters program going by so quickly. There is this stress at a certain point in the year. Everyone kind of feels this pressure that, like I gotta figure out my next move. My plan and I definitely like use the career services office, a bit.

Um especially in the very beginning, I would like schedule a call. I just talk about like what I should be doing at a particular time. So I probably started that around like maybe October November. I have like a call with what surveyed sorry Val. Something and she's really intense in like a good way in a way. I think they do a good job of being able to kind of meet you where you are if you are somebody who's ready to like start being really aggressive with like networking. Again, like, coffee dates with people that's great or if someone who still kind of exploring.

There's room for that, too, and I remember especially in the spring. Karen map was a EPM like program director was really like supportive and helpful in reminding us that, like there's nothing to really like be super anxious about it's OK to not rush to wait for the right opportunity. And that really stuck with me that that message because I feel like there's all these other messages that you get from like.

Family and friends of like what he could be doing are going to be paying back your loans sooner like having to figure out what's what's happening next uh an I think? What's been the most helpful for me has been up. My reaching out to alums in the area and like getting into those like coffee dates and I kind of picking their brains about their career path and whether it was something I was interested in with a program like education policy and management. I wasn't sure if I wanted to. I go into research Nets or until like a policy analyst type of role and then like.

Through a bunch of steps I ended up doing getting really enjoyed quantitative analysis and then I got this like fellowship through the Center for education policy and research and that was like from from some like just talking to like a professor who encouraged me to apply Andrew Ho so anyway. Yeah, just talk to people. I feel like that wasn't as much of like institutional support of like here's this fleshed out program. Here's something that you can do as a student, but just yeah, really taking advantage of the the people in your network and career services, there when you're ready to talk them without getting too anxious about it.

The network here is incredible. So I always encourage people not just here at the Ed School. But Harvard wide like build that network is really powerful.

Um so all of you if you could one piece of advice. You would offer to prospective students looking to make the most of their time while here at HGC.

Yeah, this is telling me to, I would say leave hugs ease campus and get to know in explore. Other schools at on at the University so like last year. I help coordinate the Harvard Kennedy School's conference on poverty and Inequity and I got to meet people that are in policy at the Kennedy School. I'm taking a Business School course, so that would be my advice is don't only refer to HGC get out and see what the?

MIT so get out and see what the other universities and schools have to offer.

Yeah, I want to echo that as well. This is Michelle. There's so many amazing programs and speakers that are happening across the school and you have access to them, especially you have also have access to cross registering and taking classes at some of the other colleges as well, but going back to the speakers. They bring some amazing folks who are campus like bad Bunny was here doctor, Yousef Salaam Janice Jackson. The CEO of Chicago Public Schools and so many amazing. Notable folks on things to Tracy also was able to have an intimate lunch with Maria.

So a lot of really, really cool things happening on campus. You just have to be willing to engage and just do the things without fear.

Add somebody to chat from that could skip the roll call because my voice gives it away. So I'm going to. I think I think one piece of advice. I would say is I definitely agree with both sentiments that were previously offered as far as exploration of different of different schools. I had a chance to to go to Kennedy School to check out their you know their club fair on their student studio organization fair and go to the ASU meeting over there and kind of engage with like.

You know different taxes on different levels as well. The speakers are all really awesome. But I would say like in considering like all of the things that were just listed out in your in your exploration try to be strategic in the sense of like don't try to do everything they try to do too much because then it's like you spreading yourself real thin and you're not really getting the most out of the experience is that you're going through anyway. So you just kind of kind of going. This guy kind of dislike taking up space there, but not really getting what you intend it out and send it to get out of it.

Originally so I think the best piece of advice. I can give like playing basketball for what was just said. Is is is take a take in the breathtaking the schedule take in the landscape and then how to be strategic about what it is that you want to get like a real deep experience with and put it as that may be like a deep experience isn't necessarily like necessary for you, specifically so just don't have don't have the fear of missing out for sure. Yeah.

Uh yeah, I definitely agree with that when I think being intentional with your time is really important, and even before I started school as I was like thinking through my personal statement and stuff about why I wanted to go back to school I had in my head this idea of like knowledge gaps or skill sets that I wanted to develop during my time here, so helpful so along the way as I was choosing classes or deciding Watt groups to be involved in what events to go to that was thinking through like OK? Well, I get out of this is this going to be fulfilling for me is this something that I wouldn't want to teach myself that I would want to.

Sharing community with here at Harvard, those things were really helpful for when I was afraid of missing out on something.

Answer 1 question is now part of the program. But if you think about when you decided to come here and you wrote your personal statement? What has changed and what has stayed the same, like I'm really interested.

It's changed by his staying the same, so much has changed actually one of the biggest pieces of advice that all of the alumni professors doctor. Matt everyone told us forget about what you said. You were going to do when you get here. 'cause you're going to change your mind. I think for me, even though I know that I want to go into district leadership at some point I did come in thinking that I wanted to do more policy work right away. I will say after writing some grueling memos that that is.

Probably not the route that I want to take right after I graduate from here uhm. I also told myself that I wasn't going to take a stats class. But like once again doctor map. She says wonders and she convinced me. She sold me on it, so I took that class and I'm struggling, but I think I'm doing well in it, so not sure if it's changed like my like outcome of what I want to do when I get out of here. But definitely has changed. Some of the things that I've done along the way.

Interestingly, this is tawhida my personal statement. I've been here for my 2nd year. I'm still this on the same path very little, if anything has changed from my personal statement my personal. I would recommend that be as authentic and honest as possible in your personal statement. I had already had any position that I've probably ever even come, leaving here that would fulfill I have a Masters in nonprofit management. I worked in a nonprofit sector. I worked in district leadership.

So I didn't write my personal statement about a particular path. I wanted to take I wrote my personal statement about learnings that I wanted to get through this program and blind spots that I had that I wanted to be able to feel so I would more say that my person staying is actually coming to life and being actualized. While I'm here through the course work that I've selected to take in the experiences I selected to involve myself in. I'm actually starting to fill those gaps and answer those questions so that's why I said, I'm very.

My experience here in I feel like everything I wrote in my personal statement. I wanted to learn and actually learning.

Uhm I think similarly with Michelle code when I roll. My personal statement and talked about maximizing impact. I was definitely thinking about it coming in from the policy angle and thinking about like that's like that is the way to maximize impact. But I think being here has kind of showed me that I think I'm more like you can maximize impact from the management side in a very similar way, and have like like it's different obviously, but I think that the the broadness of the impact like kidney.

Like matched on their side and I think I'm definitely more geared toward that size of the policy side, so The thing is definitely has definitely taught me that, but I think like as permanent as far as like perspective of like speaking about like you know what populations that I'm passionate about engaging in pork with and you know what is the level of impact that I want to have a lot of those court settlements are still the same?

Well, I'm going to open it up to a few questions that we got in our chat box. The first one. Uhm are any of you involved in a paid assistantship or work study in such an how do you balance that and kind of talked about that experience a little bit?

Yeah, so this is how he to I'm currently working as a teaching. Fellow for the school leadership program. I helped to teach the strategic leadership course with Doctor Urban Scott and I also serve as a field advisor for the teacher education program. And those are 2 jobs that I've taken up on campus for me the way I've been able to balance it as a second year EDLD student you have more flexibility for your schedule you don't.

You could not at all take a job your first year so I see a few people interested in EDLD That's one thing I would make you very keenly aware of you are a 9 to 5 student. There's no way you can work another job. But in the second year, you have more flexibility. So I just Taylor. My schedule around the two job opportunities that I was taking on this year.

So I don't have a actual internship or work study job here on campus. But I'm actually doing independent consulting virtually which is really nice. So my previous employer. They needed some extra help with a few projects so they hired me on so I've been able to do that which has been really nice. But one thing to consider is that while working because it is a super accelerated program. You really shouldn't work more than 8 to 10 hours a week, even that is just a lot. There's also so much happening on campus like we talked about an?

You're working at ton of hours, you're going to miss out on a lot of those key experiences and while classroom work is super important there's so much like greatness that comes from some of these extra activities, especially with being able to get involved. Go to events on other campuses and Whatnot. So I'm really grateful for the consulting that I get to do 'cause. It's on a Nov. There's projects here and there, I get to work, but it's also flexible with the schedule.

Oh yeah, I had an internship with the rides project, the reimagining in to reimagine you integrated and diverse negligible schools formally under the title now kins. Mccalla, who is awesome, yeah, and it was, it was good. I think we were really up frighten our conversations with my then supervisor about what the commitment would be like an what to kind of expect as far as like turn around for the project. I was working on an experience I learned a lot and to be Frank. It like paid a lot better than other jobs. I could have gotten outside of campus.

So that was nice and uh, yeah, yeah. That's good. Another question that we had come in was how do you think the program in cohort experience will make you a more effective leader in education helping other marginalized or students of colors as they go through their own education experience.

If anyone has an interest there.

I love my cohort this is Tony to UM, I. I think that's the best part of the DOD program. You come in with 25 it individuals who are all leaders in the field in some capacity. About half of our cohort are people of color identifies people of color, but you also meet and make great allies in the program and you go through this three year experience together. I could not imagine doing a doctoral program.

In any other way, this is the amount of support that you get from a cohort to go through a rigorous process like this to me is unparalleled as well. So I just say that yes, and when I leave here. I know that my cohort will also be in my network of helping me push the work that I'm trying to do for all kids forward and I have this community of allies to do that. Once I leave a CSC.

Uh I think I know the one year program level for me, I think it's been what's been really great about the cord is that as we're taking all of these classes and kind of like engaging in this curriculum. We're all coming from different angles, saying, I think coming from Liquid Foundation Dacian level or coming from a non profit perspective. College access classroom teacher working in government and I think analyzing the content together from all of these different.

Lenses has been super insightful for me and I feel like it's definitely going to inform me in whatever space that I walk into after this, because now I have, like a little insight into 'cause. All of these things have to operate together in Unison. Right so I have a little bit more insight into how they function and how they work, particularly because of my experience on the corner.

Some leave we have time for one more question. And so one that kept popping up was in terms of the application, there is an option to submit optional materials in there. I know specifically came to you to heat up about the EDLD program by know what the Masters program. You also have that opportunity. So I was curious if any of you decide to submit optional materials. If you decide not to and how you approach that.

I did, um I remember submitting a supplemental statement on the work I did at my previous organization on diversity equity and inclusion. I was one of the founding members of the workforce that started because our organization was going through just a revamp in terms of making sure that they were engaging inequitable work, especially as it targeted the people of color at the organization, especially the African American members of the team, so that is something that was really important to me and I know HTC brings a lens to that, so I.

I felt that that was something important, not just to make the connection, but also to display the person I am and another facet to my identity.

This is tawhida yes, I also submitted additional information. I submit it to articles that I have published one on 10 ways to increase academic achievement for African American Latino and Native American Youth and the other article was around supporting in recruiting and retaining teachers of color, so I submit it to articles with my applications.

Wonderful and with that question I'm going to transition over to our admissions deadlines and just give a few little advice on the applications since our deadlines are fastly approaching now that we're close to the end of November, so the first deadline is for our PhD which is on December 1st 2019 an you will be submitting the application and all of its materials to the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, so be mindful that you are sending your Tre scores accessing the application.

On their website, they have a strict 5:00 PM. Eastern Standard Time deadline, so make sure that you convert this our time zone to whichever one year end. As for the education of the Doctor of Education leadership. That deadline is December 15, 2019, an for Masters programs. The deadline is January 5th, 2020 and both of these are due by 11:59 PM again eastern Standard Time will make that conversion. I do want to make sure that.

You take note that the deadline for all of these are on the Sunday. Our office will be closing on Friday the Friday prior to the deadlines at 5:00 PM. Eastern Standard Time so I encourage you not to wait until Saturday, or Sunday to try to submit your application in case you have any last minute questions or having any technical issues. But if you don't feel like you have to submit your application. Anytime further than that. We do not do a rolling in missions, so take the plenty of time to complete the application to.

What you feel most comfortably will represent who you are and why you're applying to HTSY you know the PhD the EDLD or the Masters programs. We will be notifying applicants around March 2020 via email. So keep your eye on that as well. I know I had a few comments and questions about the GRE they have to be more than 5 years, so looking now. It has to be by February, 1st, 2015 anything older than that, you would have to retake the GRE.

And we do use a holistic approach in terms of reviewing applications. I know there's a few questions about how much weight is carried on the GRE. We really look at your statement of purpose? Why are you interested at applying to our school? What resources will faculty members what? What are you looking at that this school is going to help you in terms of getting to your next career move and also what are you bringing to the campus that you can share with the community your letters of recommendations also carry a lot of weight.

In terms of the skills that you're bringing the uh what you're passionate about so really focus on those as well. The GRE as many people want to think it's a big aspect of the application. When in reality. It is not as someone who's gone through the program and whose verbal score was not the best I can also say really just focus on doing your best but really work in other parts of the application and don't stress out, too much because I know the more you stress out. That's going to be your focus on test day so relax focus on the other parts.

And then it again we really touch on a lot of program information application financial aid. So if you do have questions. Feel free to check out one of our recorded webinars, which are listed here. We hope to have this one as well. So if you're coming in late and kind of want to hear from our students and what we've already presented that will make its way there, but different program. Recordings are there financial aid. We also have next week or master student check coming up.

In the week of December, 3rd is our Masters application advice. So there's still plenty of time to really work. Through it a little bit more and we also will have a financial aid web and are coming up.

And finally stay connected with us, we have various ways. Our admissions blog. You get to hear from current students. Alumni faculty who talk about the community. Their research what they're doing here at HDFC and beyond. We also have faculty directory videos. That kind of talk about the program's a little bit more detail. We offer virtual tour on line. Follow us on Twitter and like I said if you have any questions that we weren't able to address here you have our general admissions website or email listed here.

As well as mine askola at csc.harvard.edu. I just want to give a quick shout out and thank you for panelists here, taking the time from their very busy schedules. I know November is when things really start ramping up so thank you. And it just from the quick comments that I've been seeing people. Enjoy your excitement and hear inspiring stories cell. Thank you so much for all of you connecting with those virtually thank you for taking the time from your schedules to learn more about HTC.

Forward to hearing from you and seeing your application soon.

Have a wonderful night and we will call it a rap.

Thank you.