Barbara Best is a community organizer, youth advocate, and system change leader with 25 years of experience in nurturing the power of communities to build a more just and compassionate world for all. Her guiding compass is towards healthy interconnectedness. She serves as Executive Director of Convu, a vibrant community that builds capacity for deep listening and peer coaching in schools, workplaces, and communities. In this wonderful dialogue, Barbara shares her personal motivations and values that anchor her in the work of serving communities in need of important resources such as health care coverage. In her pursuit to build stronger root systems, she found her passion in the education space to bridge gaps between youth activism, peer coaching and community building. Don’t miss out on what Barbara has to say about the intersections between being a compassionate listener and a courageous global citizen!
Happy 5 year anniversary to Be A Global Citizen! Check out this reflection where I share the origins of the podcast, the evolution of the podcast and myself as a podcaster, and the future of it! I wish to express my deep appreciation to all my listeners and supporters.
Charli Kemp is the founder and executive director of the nonprofit Change The Tune. She is a curator of transformative learning experiences that empower individuals to build capacity within themselves and create positive systemic change. She utilizes education as a vehicle for activism and is driven by ending inequitable systems to create opportunities and access for underserved communities. Charli shares her journey as a bold and outspoken leader who believes in the vast potential of all learners. Check out what Charli has to say about being a global citizen!
Sabrina Sheikh is the senior program manager at the Institute for Educational Leadership. She is committed to building inclusive systems where all young people are seen, heard, and supported to lead and thrive as they transition into adulthood. From her own upbringing as an immigrant from Somalia, Sabrina understands and has taken action to takedown the many barriers facing immigrant populations in the United States. Her framing of leadership centers on recognizing and affirming one’s lived experiences. In this episode, Sabrina shares how being a leader is about cultivating a sense of agency and purpose as a global citizen. She emphasizes the need for people to expand their identities by being open to new perspectives and opportunities. Enjoy!
Maria Guajardo is a goal-driven and innovative global leader. She has held government roles, non profit leadership, and university deanship. The theme of leadership is evident in her multiple career pathways. What is inspiring about Maria’s work as an educator and leader is the emphasis on student agency to take action that is rooted in purpose. Maria shares about her sense of identity as a Mexican American, challenges us to consider what is our worldview, and poses the question to the listener: ‘for what purpose?’ This is a highly engaging and joyful conversation that leans into and embraces the complexity of the learning process, being a leader, and being a global citizen. Enjoy!
Jason Lions is the regional vice president for Center for Social Dynamics. He has worked as a teacher, coordinator, principal, superintendent, and executive across public and private schools in the United States. He shares about how he was able to transform his childhood trauma into fuel for fostering young people as capable learners with a mission for society. With a deep sense of appreciation for his mother and the Buddhist community that supported him, Jason wants to contribute to the transformation of education in the United States and worldwide. Check out this wonderful conversation about humanistic education, the importance of genuine friendship within the community, and the power of life-to-life encounters that can change the world. Enjoy!
Generosa Sangco-Jackson is a PhD in Classics and Classical Languages from the University of Florida and a recent graduate from the masters in Education Leadership at Harvard Graduate School of Education. She is a first generation college student and speaks about her journey studying and teaching Latin. Her sense of awe and wonder about ancient mythology and civilizations is still very much intact from her middle school years. Through reading literature and poetry in Latin, she reflects on how our society has much more in common with ancient peoples than we realize. She offers up a longer timeline of history and inquisitive lens to examine which lessons from the past allow us to chart new pathways into the future. Enjoy what Generosa has to say about the study of ancient languages and the practice of global citizenship in our current times.
Larry Meadows Jr is a recent graduate from the Education Leadership Doctorate program at Harvard Graduate School of Education. His career started in finance and accounting and later shifted to the non profit space and then once again to schools. His career pursuit has been to make an impact on young people with an emphasis on family and community engagement. Larry draws from his adolescent years growing up in the Washington DC area to inform how he approaches mentorship, leadership, and community. Our conversation looks at the importance of having a role model, building a positive identity rooted in community, and making an impact with a greater sense of responsibility and appreciation. Enjoy what Larry has to say about being a global citizen!
Reem Olaby is an accomplished pharmacist, educator, researcher, and leadership trainer with more than 15 years of scientific research experience and 14 years of higher education teaching. She currently serves as an Associate Professor of Pharmacology & Biotechnology at California Northstate University and is pursuing her master’s in higher education leadership at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. With clear values and a desire to learn from those who are different from us, Reem speaks to why this ability to step beyond one’s immediate bubble is vital to create ripple effects towards a better world. This conversation spans the humanities in science to the role of empathy to amplifying voices through social media. Enjoy our conversation about how compassion and empathy lay the groundwork for nurturing global citizens!
Alex Smith is the Executive Director of an Early Childhood Center in Pottstown, Pennsylvania. He has taught at the preschool and kindergarten levels for over 20 years and is passionate about shaping young learners to uncover their unique interests and strengths. He is driven by the philosophy that every child deserves excellent educational opportunities and that we achieve that by partnering with families. From his many personal and school-based anecdotes of serving families, it is evident that Alex believes in the power of connection and the hope it creates for the wider school community. Check out what Alex has to say about being a global citizen!
Chirag Patel is an educator, writer, and media specialist who lives in Los Angeles. He is the son of immigrants and was taught by his parents the value of grit and resilience. Throughout his studies and career, Chirag has been driven to learn from others and reflect on his own impact. Our conversation centers on the role that friendship plays in cultivating oneself as a global citizen. From each individual thread that connects us to another person, the idea is that we form a fabric of human relations that represents who we are. With great stories and deep insight from diverse experiences, Chirag shares that being a global citizen has a lot to do with the willingness to engage with others and have an open mind. Enjoy the conversation!
Rasheen Jamison-Richardson is the non profit founder of Legacy School of Performing Arts. With over two decades of teaching experience in music, she created her own school to cultivate the creativity and passion of youth through musical expression. Her educator journey has been one of transforming suffering and hardship into strength and resilience. Despite suffering a stroke, Rasheen drew strength from her community and faith, and owned her story of redemption. Recently, she launched a podcast called ‘The Table of Redemption’ where she outlines a framework for redemption specifically for those school educators and leaders who may be on the brink of burnout. Rasheen is passionate about empowering more people to grow as resilient leaders who are prepared to face life’s challenges. Check her thoughts on the relationship between being a global citizen and being a resilient educator.
Cristi Marchetti is passionate about making a positive impact through her love of literature and teaching. She has experience as an independent publicist in her early career and later discovered that working with young people and cultivating their curiosity about the world is where she wanted to make her greatest impact. She speaks about her desire to connect the local with the global and the importance of modeling resilience within the classroom. A powerful driver of Cristi’s conception of global citizenship came from six months of research based at Queen’s University Belfast through the Fulbright Distinguished Award in Teaching Research program. Cristi is in her second year of the masters in education leadership at Harvard Graduate School of Education where she is honing her skills and expanding her network to make even greater societal change. Enjoy the conversation!
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Sandy Arntzen is a Los Angeles-based educator who works with children to help them achieve their fullest potential. She takes the time to build trust with students one-on-one and addresses both their academic and emotional needs through various approaches that cultivates their innate desire to learn and be their authentic selves. She mostly works with clients from ages 3 to 21 with autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). In our conversation, Sandy talks about the importance of educators being the cheerleader for their students in order for them to feel safe and motivated to learn. From her decades of study and practice as an educational consultant and therapist, she understands how vital a student’s context is to making headway in connecting with them. Enjoy learning more about Sandy’s approach to leaning in with curiosity and purpose as well as her thoughts on the concept of global citizenship.
Neera Sameda is the Director of Customer Success and College Coaching for CollegeConsulting.US. She comes from an immigrant family and speaks to her own childhood, navigating the beaches of Trinidad and Tobago and the urban streets of New Jersey. A big part of her story centers on her parent’s story of the American Dream. Neera speaks about her struggle to carve out her own narrative of the American Dream while honoring her family’s sacrifices. She made the difficult decision to pivot away from medical school to pursue her passion of supporting students in the college admissions process. Neera shares about how her version of the American Dream helped to empower her as a global citizen who is contributing to new immigrant youth. Check out Neera’s story!
Ian Read is the Associate Dean of Faculty at Soka University of America. He is a professor of Latin American Studies and his research has focused on the social, economic, and medical history of Brazil, particularly the history of slavery, race, and public health in the nineteenth century. Ian shares about what passion is and the implications of being passionate over the long run as a means to creating value in society. He cites empathy, creativity, and curiosity as important attributes of a global citizen. He also discusses important considerations about the relationship between global citizenship and AI technologies. Enjoy the conversation!
Maryke Luijendijk has worked in higher education for two decades in countries such as South Africa and the United Arab Emirates. Her path was informed by historic events like working on a large project in her early career to help merge two universities in South Africa in the wake of Apartheid. Other formative experiences of hotel management overseas in the UK were also important to show her the value of learning with people of different backgrounds. Maryke sees the potential in people and finds creative ways to bring them together. Her insights into bridging differences is very fitting for this conversation about global citizenship. Enjoy learning about Maryke’s journey from South Africa to the world.
Elaine De Velez is the CEO and Co-Founder of FrontLearners, an e-learning content and solution provider to boost student competency and to increase school enrollment. From her early childhood experiences of studying hard to make the most out of limited opportunities, she is committed to democratizing education in the Philippines by creating more avenues for young people to access high quality e-learning content. Elaine’s career background is in chemistry where she worked for a large multi national corporation. Despite retiring from that career, she felt a new calling to increase her impact through education. Elaine represents what it means to bring a global vision to her country. She inspires countless young people to study and unlock their full potential. Enjoy what Elaine has to say about being a global citizen!
Kumiko Hayashi is a director, producer, and educator who is passionate about uplifting and amplifying indigenous voices and their cultures through the art of storytelling. She has worked on media projects that document the traditions of indigenous communities who are seeking and building new paths of coexistence and harmony. This conversation provides insight into global citizenship as a way to bring together the mind and heart towards a common goal: peace and mutual respect. It is moving to learn about the courageous efforts of global citizens like Kumiko who strive to bring more awareness about the value of different cultures to the world. Kumiko has worked on larger documentary projects like the ‘Women of the White Buffalo,’ and she is soon to release her own documentary called ‘The Roots Awaken.’ Enjoy what Kumiko has to say about being a global citizen!
Amy White is an African American History Professor at Harlem Children’s Zone. She teaches 3rd–5th grade students to critically engage with history, identity, and the world around them. She is committed to equity, justice, and the limitless potential of every child. In our conversation, her passion for combatting systems of oppression is evident in her spirit to envision new pathways within education for marginalized youth to flourish. Amidst the political climate that seeks to eliminate DEIJB, Amy is firm in her resolve to create spaces of belonging that connect people to their deepest humanity. Enjoy this conversation about recognizing, uplifting, and fighting for diversity in all its local and global forms.