Alumni – Page 13 – Institute for Recruitment of Teachers

IRT Alumni Panels

A critical aspect of the IRT’s Advising Model that has expanded and become a very effective way to relay real-life graduate school experiences is the IRT Alumni Panels.

Since July 2023, IRT staff has moderated 7 alumni panels and had participation from 20 alums who addressed topics of interest such as graduate fellowship funding, pursuing a different discipline than one’s undergraduate or Master’s degree, issues for family caretakers and non-traditional students, and hurdles for DACA, undocumented, and international students. These conversations have been authentic, and insightful, and provide IRT Scholars with pertinent information many cannot acquire anywhere else. In early winter, three additional Alumni Panels will be held to tackle topics such as non-traditional career pathways, the rewards and challenges of being a higher education and student affairs professional, and experiences and “real talk” from current graduate students.

IRT Alumni Committee Seeking Two New Members!

The IRT Alumni Committee is a group of highly motivated, dynamic, and collaborative IRT Alumni who are currently in various fields and positions. One goal of this committee is to present a more holistic and complex image of who alumni are and ways the IRT Advisory Board and community can support us.

Two committee spots are open – applications due 7/31!

APPLY NOW!

IRT Cohort Finalizes Graduate School Plans

IRT Scholars have worked closely with their advisors reviewing admissions offers and fielding invitations for interview and campus visits in order to make the most informed matriculation decisions they can. Decisions have been made! We congratulate all of our current scholars for their work and energy throughout these past months. Congratulations and best wishes in your next step on your professional journey!

Being a part of the IRT program has been transformative not only for how prepared I am to pursue doctoral studies, but also fundamentally how I see myself.
Sophie D’Souza, IRT ’22

Everything Happens in Time

Ogechi Irondi, IRT ’20

In my culture names have meanings that oftentimes become what you strive to do within your life or, in some cases, who you become. My name, Ogechi, means “in God’s timing”. Outside of religion and spiritual belief, my name reflects what we all know: we cannot control when or how things happen in our lives. I have been intentional in living up to my name by letting go, leaning into uncertainty, and taking things day-by-day. My PhD journey is one that very much follows this idea. I first applied to doctoral programs in 2015 when I was a 5^th grade teacher. At that time, I did not know why I wanted to pursue a doctorate only that I should. I was running from a challenging work environment into what I thought was the obvious next step after reviewing a master’s degree. Thankfully, I was unanimously rejected from every school I applied to. Though I was heartbroken, I was given time to figure out what I wanted, what I was passionate about, why I cared, and what I wanted to do when I left the classroom. It was in those years that I truly developed and understood my “why”. Then, in 2020, during a global pandemic, I applied again. This time, I was accepted into two universities: one that I wanted and the one that I needed.

Ogechi Irondi, IRT ’20

NCORE New Orleans May 30 – June 3

35th Annual National Conference on Race & Ethnicity (NCORE) on Higher Education

IRT Associate Director and Manager of Programs Catherine Wong, IRT Arts and Sciences Specialist Brittany Zorn, IRT ’13, and IRT Education Specialist Leislie Godo-Solo, IRT ’91 presented at NCORE in New Orleans earlier this month.

What is NCORE?
According to it’s website – “the conference series constitutes the leading and most comprehensive national forum on issues of race and ethnicity in higher education. The conference focuses on the complex task of creating and sustaining comprehensive institutional change. This change work is designed to improve racial and ethnic relations and their intersections with other issues and groups on campus. The conference speakers and sessions offer strategies for expanding educational access and success for diverse, traditionally underrepresented populations.”