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, and vibrant people! I am truly grateful for each moment spent with my incredible classmates, supportive staff, and in the greater Penn GSE community. I began the program at turning point in my life and career, unsure of how best to contribute to the field of international education. Now as I approach graduation, I feel a greater sense of clarity and confidence in myself as a professional. More importantly I am strengthened by the support of my fellow IEDPers, and their friendship has made an extra special impact on my life.

Mayowa Fageyinbo

My time with IEDP was truly transformative, and I largely refer to this transformation as being from the steadfast and world-class education provided through learning from faculty and engaging my peers within the program. IEDP is truly unique in that it gathers students from nations across the globe, and it protects them with a community and cohort-based structure. That being said, as someone who took on roles of leadership within academia, and these roles intersected with international education, IEDP was a crucial learning point in my journey. Being a degree that spans across policy, research, and practice, I am confident that I am ready to take on the world and shed light on issues related to education’s intersections with development, governance, and–increasingly–creativity! Much growth occurred while I was a student in IEDP. I truly value the community and cohort-oriented approach taken through this program, with what seems to be a “hidden curriculum” (as Dr. GK taught us) on uplifting students from across the globe. I have attached a photo from our first group assignment, which was a technical proposal to improve education in Nigeria, with implications for conflict-mitigation and education across the continent. 

Yu (Ashley) Gu

One of the most memorable parts of IEDP journey was meeting and learning alongside friends from diverse cultural backgrounds. Our shared growth, from coursework to late-night discussions, made the program truly meaningful. These experiences showed me how education is not just content or policy, but relationships and collective learning. As graduate, I hope to carry this spirit of global friendship into my future work. Love you all!

Kylee Marie Hughes

I am so thankful for the opportunity to have learned alongside some of the most compassionate, dedicated, and intelligent peers and mentors over the last 1.5 years. I feel honored to have been a part of such a genuine and supportive IEDP cohort. UPenn GSE has given me the tools and knowledge to make a change I never thought possible in the world of education. I have truly enjoyed every moment I get to spend in the wonderful community that is IEDP, from musicals, to coffee chats, to bunk beds. I am forever grateful.

Joy Geepum Kim

I am so thankful for the opportunity to have learned alongside some of the most compassionate, dedicated, and intelligent peers and mentors over the last 1.5 years. I feel honored to have been a part of such a genuine and supportive IEDP cohort. UPenn GSE has given me the tools and knowledge to make a change I never thought possible in the world of education. I have truly enjoyed every moment I get to spend in the wonderful community that is IEDP, from musicals, to coffee chats, to bunk beds. I am forever grateful.

HyunKyung (Shelly) Lee

My time in IEDP has been filled with so many pleasant surprises. Coming into the program, I did not expect to meet such amazing, warm-hearted, fun, and hardworking friends who have truly become like family to me. My journey at Penn had its ups and downs, but I was incredibly blessed to have my cohort by my side, making the experience joyful and allowing me to fully embrace my growth. While it makes me sad to think that we will soon be in different parts of the country or even the world, I know this is only the beginning of our chapter together as IEDPers. I want to wish each one of my cohorts the very best wherever you may be, and I will miss you all very dearly🤍

Sheila Patience Nalwoga

This cohort has been such a blessing to have. And I realize people like this don’t come around often. We’ve lived a lot, loved immensely and lost tons as well. But I wouldn’t change anything. I am grateful that we went through all our ups and downs and grew together. I’ve grown a lot in the past year and a half. I did really hard things and learned a lot. I have so many memories that it is hard to choose one. I loved hosting everyone at my house all the time. I loved all the hugs, I’ve met such intentional people and I’m so grateful. I hope we can all work on cool projects in the future together. Let’s meet at each others weddings and all the celebrations. I know at times we got discouraged with the world and lost site of what we wanted to do, but I have hope that each of us will end up where we need to be, just like we did last year.

Melissa Dean Rogers

Ana-Carina Schmidt

Graduating from afar, I already had my goodbyes. I cherish all the memories from my IEDP journey so much. I am forever grateful for the amazing people I got to meet and the friendship that formed and stayed. IEDP also opened doors that I haven’t even thought about before. I learned so many tools that are extremely helpful already in my internship at UNESCO and I know, they will help me understand whatever work I’ll do in the future even better. I leave with a heart and mind full of new thoughts and experiences and hope that the IEDP connections stay beyond graduation!

Marcelo Ribeiro de Carvalho Silva

My master’s at IEDP became a beautiful example of intentionally creating a community and growing together. While I practiced my critical lens in urgent educational debates, I had a lot of fun with my cohort and formed lasting connections. I am grateful to my peers and faculty for their presence during founding learning moments and for bringing joy in every possible opportunity.
I am really excited for the next chapter, when I plan to advance equitable educational policies, drawing on critical studies, emerging technologies, and local epistemologies in the Global South, particularly in Brazil. Thank you so much, IEDP 2024-2025! ❤

Asep Suryana

My time in the IEDP has been deeply meaningful for me, both as a learner and as a person. I still remember how many of our classes felt less like lectures and more like honest, sometimes challenging conversations, such as moments where case studies turned into reflections on our own positionality, values, and responsibilities in education and development. That way of learning stayed with me during my internship at UNESCO HQ in Paris, where I saw firsthand how the questions we wrestled with in class around equity, access, and context, play out in real policy and global education work. What I will miss most are those shared moments of dialogue with peers and faculty that made learning feel alive and communal. I leave IEDP with deep gratitude for this community and a clearer sense of purpose as I move forward in education, technology, and international development.

Wendy Zhou

One of the most meaningful parts of my time in IEDP was the community. I was surrounded by supportive and thoughtful peers, and the learning environment felt genuinely generous and inclusive. Beyond the classroom, we showed up for one another as friends and sources of support, and that made this experience especially meaningful to me. I’m deeply grateful for the people I met and the moments we shared throughout the program.