This summer was invigorating not just for IRT Scholars, but also for those of us in the broader IRT community. During these difficult times in education, this community continues to inspire me. I saw these opportunities throughout our Summer Workshop as we built an intentional learning community.
It’s easy to look at our challenging circumstances and assume hope is lost. The Summer Workshop challenges those beliefs through the wonderful research of our scholars and the dedication of our Consortium Deans. I felt inspired by our deans as they discussed the issues at their universities and the research opportunities they find. Our Recruiters Weekend allowed scholars to connect with alumni, see evidence of their work, and acknowledge the realities of their experiences.
by Amanda Bennett, IRT ’16 Writer | Educator | Researcher | Poet Laureate of Carrboro
There is a direct line from IRT to the backyard of my Durham home.
Years ago, IRT taught me how to do something that seems simple once you know how, but can feel nearly impossible when you do not: navigate the infrastructure of graduate education. I learned how to prepare for the GRE, how to build a graduate school application, how to understand the admissions process, and how to request application fee waivers so that money did not immediately determine which opportunities were available to me.
Those skills eventually helped me enter Duke University’s Literature Ph.D. program, where I studied critical theory, Black feminist thought, spirituality, literature, and the ways Black people use imagination to repair ourselves and build lives under difficult conditions.
But something else happened because I came to graduate school: I came to Durham.
Breakthrough Greater Boston Careers in Education Fair, UNCF/Mellon Programs Conference, International Conference on Education & Justice and more…
The IRT team has been busy these past few months connecting at events. Highlights on the team’s travels below. Any IRT Alumni who plan to attend annual conferences or local events, let us know!
LaShawnda Brooks Executive Director, IRT
Breakthrough Greater Boston held their annual Careers in Education Fair this August at the University of Massachusetts, Boston. LaShawnda connected with talented teaching fellows exploring their paths to a career in education.
LaShawnda also attended Boston University’s Fall 2026 Education Policy Seminar Series in September. Dominique Baker, an associate professor from the University of Delaware presented on “Examining the Higher Education Policy Discourse Through 75 Years of Congressional Hearing Testimony.”
On October 1, Leislie presented at the UNCF/Mellon Programs Conference in Atlanta. The theme was Scholars Transforming the Academy: Centering and Stabilizing Scholar Activism in Times Like These. Additional IRT Alumni participating in panel discussions included Dominick Rolle, IRT ’09 is the Director of Undergraduate Research Programs, The Pathways Center, at Emory University, Julius Flemming, IRT ’08 Associate Professor of English at Washington University, Saint Louis, and Bria Paige, IRT ’18 a postdoctoral fellow at Dartmouth College.
Leislie will also be representing IRT and its program on October 22 at a Virtual Internship and Postbaccalaureate Research Programs Expo, hosted by Morgan State University and The Leadership Alliance.
Cultivating Possibility: Reflections on Community, Connection, and the Graduate School Journey
From the Summer Workshop to Recruiters’ Weekend, advising, and SOPA onboarding, IRT scholars, staff, faculty, alumni, and Consortium recruiters continue to build pathways grounded in belonging, purpose, and collective care.
As we move further into the IRT year, I find myself reflecting on the wisdom, generosity, and commitment that make this community so special. Over the past few months, we have been reminded that preparing for graduate school is about far more than applications and admissions decisions. It is about discovering possibilities, building meaningful connections, and recognizing the strengths scholars already possess.
At every stage of the process, we have witnessed people showing up for one another in meaningful ways. Scholars have encouraged their peers, faculty have shared their knowledge generously, alumni have offered guidance and perspective, and recruiters have helped scholars imagine new pathways forward. Together, these moments remind us that access is strengthened when we invest in one another’s growth and success.
by Catherine Wong, IRT Associate Director & Manager of Programs
This summer, IRT welcomed 100 scholars to a fully virtual Summer Workshop hosted by RingCentral Events focused on academic, personal, and professional growth. Through Critical Conversations, Writing for Graduate School seminars, Recruiters’ Weekend preparation, scholar presentations, alumni engagement, and community-building activities, scholars explored both the practical and personal dimensions of preparing for graduate education.
What stood out most in scholars’ reflections was a greater sense of confidence and clarity about how their experiences, identities, and aspirations could shape their futures and contribute to broader efforts toward equity and social change.
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