Hi everyone! My name is Rachel, and I’m a member of the new cohort! I’m also excited to be one of the graduate assistants for IEDP this upcoming year, and I’m looking forward to getting to know the IEDP community and sharing our stories through the blog!

This cohort is filled with a wide range of experiences that have led us all to IEDP! From teaching ballroom dance and Ancient Greek, working with neurodivergent students, and teaching in Benin through the Fulbright Program, to supporting Afghan refugees, mentoring students in Mongolia and South Africa, and even working on policy with Jill Biden’s team. I can’t wait to share more about the people that make this cohort so incredible!

Now that classes have officially started, I asked some first-year students to share their thoughts from their first week in the program, from orientation to the start of classes. We’ve also had plenty of time to get to know each other outside of the classroom at great events like Apps & Yaps (appetizers and good conversation!) and a potluck picnic!

Teddy Moisa: Orientation was a great opportunity to meet people with similar passions, who might not necessarily be in the same program!

Aliza Diop: The first week of IEDP was really fun and engaging! We’ve already had times to get to know each other through board games and the picnic, and it’s been great to learn about everyone and their interests. I’m looking forward to the rest of the program and forging more connections.

Jillian O’Hara: I have really enjoyed getting to know everyone more fully through the wonderful events the GAs have put on this past week. Everyone has a unique background and set of interests that I think will play really well off of each other over the course of this program. I am sure that I will learn just as much from my classmates (if not more) as I will from the readings and lectures. I’m really looking forward to learning together over this next year!