On May 20, students, families, friends, and faculty gathered at Teachers College to celebrate the graduation of Master’s and Ph.D. students in the International and Comparative Education Program (ICEP). It was a joyous occasion to recognize and reflect on the achievements of the program’s graduates—faculty joined in their doctoral robes from the institutions where they earned their degrees, and loved ones from across the United States and around the globe visited campus to celebrate alongside the ICEP community.
We are immensely proud of everyone who completed their Master’s and Doctoral degrees this year. Your hard work, curiosity, and dedication have enriched our community—and we can’t wait to see where you go next! We wish you the very best in your future endeavors!
Professor Mary Mendenhall and Professor Garnett Russell with the new graduates Paola Abril, Jazmin Guardado and Yuta Kumazaki
This story celebrates the newly graduated ICEP cohort and features the profiles of several alumni. From immersive coursework and collaborative fieldwork to community partnerships and cutting-edge research, our graduates have made a lasting impact on Teachers College and beyond. As they step into roles in schools, NGOs, international organizations, and policymaking spaces, they carry forward ICEP’s mission to improve education worldwide.
Professor Oren Pizmony-Levy with new graduates Noa Urbach and Sara Lewis
Professor Prem Phyak with the new graduates Yuta Kumakazi, Jazmin Guardado, Yingtong (Sandy) Chen, Phuong Pham and Ava Zhi
Professor Nicholas Limerick and the new graduate Planicka Haley (MA in Anthropology & Education)
We invited a few of our newest alumni to reflect on their experiences at TC and share what’s next. We’re grateful to them for offering their insights.
Jazmin Guardado
What is your next professional step now that you have graduated? During my masters program I was also working as a full-time professional staff at Teachers College in the Office of Global Engagement as the International Projects and Partnerships Manager. I am happy to be continuing in this role and supporting the various exciting projects we have planned for the TC community. More recently, I helped establish and lead the Costa Rica and Morocco study abroad programs.
What is one learning outcome that you got from your master's degree that you think prepared you well for your career and life? I believe my masters degree in International Educational Development prepared me well to bring a more critical and nuanced lens to this field. Whether it is carrying out academic or practitioner based work, it is important to have foundational knowledge of the development/humanitarian spaces--where it started, where it's headed, and how we can contribute to it for the good? Though these are not easy questions, I feel prepared to enter these spaces with the hard and soft skills to contribute meaningfully and overall work toward making a positive impact in this field of study/work.
Yuta Kumazaki
What is your next professional step now that you have graduated? Looking ahead to becoming a leader in the international development and humanitarian fields, I will be joining a global consulting firm that works with governments, nonprofits, and organizations in the education and health sectors. Recognizing that the world is currently in a transitional period marked by significant resource constraints in these areas, this next step will allow me to develop more efficient, effective, and strategic approaches to challenges in the public and social sectors. It will also help me strengthen my organizational skills, particularly in leadership and problem-solving. I intend to leverage this opportunity to broaden and deepen my capacity toward my long-term goal of supporting education and the protection of vulnerable populations in emergency contexts.
What is one learning outcome that you got from your master's degree that you think prepared you well for your career and life? The International Educational Development master’s program gave me many opportunities to reflect on the significance of education at both macro and micro levels. At the macro level, I learned how theories in the fields of education and development are applied to on-the-ground programming. For instance, during my internship with a UN agency in Lebanon, the systematic understanding from the Education in Emergencies course significantly informed my approach to analyzing bottlenecks of education and protection in conflict-affected settings. At the micro level, the OGE-initiated Short Study Abroad Program in Costa Rica was particularly formative. Learning from peers and local people who had experienced marginalization and violence enabled me to engage in deep, meaningful dialogue. These conversations were profoundly inspiring and prompted me to think critically about how individuals facing adversity develop resilience, and how education practitioners can and should support that process. Building on this experience, I have continued my research even after graduation, exploring how children and their communities can develop resilience to prevent further grievances in conflict-affected areas such as Yemen and Lebanon.
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We look forward to learning more about your current work!