IEDP, IEDP Alumni

IEDP Alumni Spotlight: Jesús “Louie” Zúñiga, Strategic Growth Manager at Vanguard Charitable

For this month’s IEDP Alumni Spotlight, I am excited to introduce you to IEDP alum, JesĂşs “Louie” Zúñiga. I first learned about Louie from an IEDP friend, who shared that they had a great experience connecting with Louie. And then when our Program Manager, Lauren shared that he had single-handedly organized the university-wide Problem-Solver Symposium during his time in the program, I knew Louie would … Continue reading IEDP Alumni Spotlight: JesĂşs “Louie” Zúñiga, Strategic Growth Manager at Vanguard Charitable

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IEDP, IEDP 24-25, IEDP Life, IEDP Spotlight

Meet Lushen Zhang: 2nd Year IEDP Student, Proseminar TA, Penn First Plus Graduate Coordinator

Last semester, Dr. Ghaffar-Kucher organized a “2nd Years: Ask Me Anything” panel for first year IEDP students. During the panel, I was excited to meet second-year IEDP student, Lushen Zhang, and learn more about her unique experience at GSE. Since then, she has been a wonderful support as a Teaching Assistant for our IEDP Proseminar course this semester. Hearing from Lushen about her experience was … Continue reading Meet Lushen Zhang: 2nd Year IEDP Student, Proseminar TA, Penn First Plus Graduate Coordinator

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IEDP, IEDP 25-26, IEDP Life

Amane Tsuchimoto on Navigating Life as a Full-Time IEDP Graduate Student and Father of a Three-Year-Old Daughter

This month, I am thrilled to introduce you to my friend and fellow IEDP student, Amane Tsuchimoto. At the start of the academic year, I connected with Amane over our shared interest in higher education, and eventually, I had the privilege to get to know him (and his lovely wife, Sayuri and adorable daughter, Waka) even more during our group technical proposal project last semester. … Continue reading Amane Tsuchimoto on Navigating Life as a Full-Time IEDP Graduate Student and Father of a Three-Year-Old Daughter

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IEDP, IEDP Alumni, IEDP Life

IEDP Alumni Spotlight: Athena Louise Lao, Senior Program Manager at Ted-Ed

This month, I am excited to kick off the IEDP Alumni Spotlight series. In this series, you will get to hear directly from IEDP alums about their journey at Penn GSE, their adventures since graduating, and a few pieces of advice for current students.  Without further ado, let me introduce you to Athena Louise Lao, who graduated from the IEDP in 2017. Following graduation, she … Continue reading IEDP Alumni Spotlight: Athena Louise Lao, Senior Program Manager at Ted-Ed

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IEDP, IEDP 25-26, IEDP Life

Top 10 Tips for Navigating the Graduate School Application Process

Happy New Year! As the IEDP priority application deadline of February 1 quickly approaches (although rolling admissions remain open as space permits), I wanted to share ten tips for navigating the application process. For first-gen applicants, international applicants, and those from other marginalized communities, the process of applying for graduate school can be incredibly daunting. Being first-gen myself, I can vividly remember my own sleepless … Continue reading Top 10 Tips for Navigating the Graduate School Application Process

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IEDP, IEDP 24-25, IEDP Life

Congratulations, IEDP December 2025 Graduates!

As December comes to a close, we are so proud to announce that sixteen IEDP students are graduating from the program this month. In honor of concluding their IEDP journeys, several graduates have shared their reflections and most memorable photos. Please join us in celebrating these incredible graduates! Kathryn Elizabeth Anderson My time with the IEDP has been a whirlwind of learning, laughter, enlightening conversations, … Continue reading Congratulations, IEDP December 2025 Graduates!

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IEDP 25-26, IEDP Life

A Day in the Life of an IEDP Student: 🧡Friendsgiving Edition 🧡

IEDP never stops even during Thanksgiving! It has been a crazy semester and we have been busy with assignments and group projects; however, that does not mean that we do nothing fun. In fact, I love my cohort for holding so many diverse activities that makes our cohort bond tighter. I really feel close to my cohort and I truly happy to be the GA … Continue reading A Day in the Life of an IEDP Student: 🧡Friendsgiving Edition 🧡

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IEDP, IEDP 25-26, IEDP Spotlight

From Blantyre, Malawi to the IEDP: Juston Vizyalona’s Journey in International Educational Development

This week, I am excited to introduce you to my friend and IEDP student, Juston Vizyalona. Originally from the city of Blantyre in Southern Malawi, Juston brings over a decade of experience in international educational development and most recently, joined the IEDP this year on a prestigious scholarship. Throughout the fall semester, I have learned so much from Juston and hope you do too through … Continue reading From Blantyre, Malawi to the IEDP: Juston Vizyalona’s Journey in International Educational Development

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By Regions, Europe, IEDP, IEDP 24-25, IEDP Life, IEDP Spotlight

Interested in Early Childhood Education? Learn More About the ECEFS Academic Certificate From IEDP Student, Shelly Lee

In this blog article, you will hear from IEDP second year student, Shelly Lee who shares about her experience pursuing the Early Childhood Education and Family Studies (ECEFS) Academic Certificate. This program prepares students to work in the early childhood education sector through providing a focused curriculum and hands-on experience. IEDP students pursuing the ECEFS Academic Certificate have been able to smoothly integrate the certificate’s … Continue reading Interested in Early Childhood Education? Learn More About the ECEFS Academic Certificate From IEDP Student, Shelly Lee

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IEDP, IEDP 25-26, IEDP Life

Glimpses into the Life of an IEDP Student on a Fall Day

As a first-gen student who really had no idea what a day in graduate school would look like prior to this semester, I found myself reading nearly every single IEDP “day in the life” blog article around this time last year. And so to pay it forward, I wanted to share some snapshots from a day in my own life this fall semester. Although it … Continue reading Glimpses into the Life of an IEDP Student on a Fall Day

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