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Executive Director Letter, January 2026

“We must remember that intelligence is not enough. Intelligence plus character—that is the goal of true education.” — MLK “The Purpose of Education,” 1947

Happy New Year, IRT Community!

As we head into the depths of winter, the IRT staff is hard at work supporting our scholars. This fall was a difficult one, as many scholars navigated program changes and ultimately submitted their applications. We are continually grateful for our broader IRT community – our Consortium partners, alumni who advise scholars through SOP advising, and friends of the program who support our work. Our Scholars worked to complete their applications by the December 15 deadline, and many are now hearing back about interviews. We are proud of all our scholars for embarking on this process during such a difficult time.

Associate Director & Manager of Programs Update, January 2026

Reflections on Growth and Transformation

As our IRT Cohort wrapped up their graduate school applications, we came together for our third IRTA meeting to celebrate how far each scholar has come. I designed a four-quadrant reflection activity that asked them to explore the wisdom they’d reclaimed, the resistance they’d pushed through, the relationships they’d built, and the uncertainties they’d learned to navigate. What unfolded was a powerful portrait of collective growth, individual transformation, and mentorship as a practice of reciprocity.

Discovering Worth: From Doubt to Recognition

One of the most striking revelations across the cohort was the journey from self-doubt to self-recognition. Many scholars entered the process underestimating the value of their own experiences, whether due to imposter syndrome, unfamiliar academic contexts, or comparison with traditional paths.

“I thought it would be seen as a ‘burden’ or reason that schools may not see me as a good candidate,” shared one parent scholar in our cohort, speaking about balancing family responsibilities with academic aspirations. Through the statement of purpose advisor (SOPA) process, they learned to reframe this not as a liability but as evidence of resilience and commitment.

Another scholar, who had spent years in community-based work rather than traditional research settings, initially worried about their unconventional background: “I thought that me working at the Y wasn’t as valuable as being published, having a research background, or interning at a fancy firm.” Their SOPA helped them recognize that direct community engagement offered irreplaceable insights for their research.

Interested in Joining the Next IRT Cohort?

The IRT application is now open for scholars wishing to begin a graduate program in the fall of 2027.

The application will close on March 1, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. EST – please note that no extensions will be granted.

Alumni Book Spotlight

January 2026

As part of a new initiative, IRT Executive Director LaShawnda Brooks will be selecting an alumni book to read each month. She encourages all alumni to share in this endeavor providing commentary on the book in the comments section below.

Impactful Leadership of Schools of Education in Difficult Times

Catherine Wong, Associate Director & Manager of Programs attended a virtual workshop with Kevin Kumashiro, Ph.D. on transformative frameworks for educational leadership

What if the very act of supporting a scholar through their graduate school application is fundamentally transforming educational institutions? That’s the powerful realization that emerged from Catherine Wong’s three-day virtual intensive with Kevin Kumashiro, Ph.D. this January. Over the course of the workshop, “Impactful Leadership of Schools of Education in Difficult Times,” Kumashiro didn’t just share leadership strategies, he challenged participants to fundamentally rethink what it means to lead for justice. His central provocation? That we must name and engage with contradictions rather than resolve them, that resistance is inevitable and must be worked through rather than avoided, and that transformative change happens through collective movements, not siloed actions. For those of us committed to supporting aspiring scholars at IRT, these insights landed with particular resonance. After all, when we sit with a scholar crafting their personal statement, aren’t we doing exactly what Kumashiro describes: historicizing their journey to reveal enduring paradoxes, reframing their experiences to illuminate what others might miss and creating space to work through the discomfort of unlearning limiting narratives about who belongs in graduate education?