Student Advocacy and Issues Committee
The Student Advocacy and Issues Committee shall be responsible for ascertaining student opinion and concern on academic, social matters, and community issues and engaging Student Council members in conversations about potential action to advocacy on behalf of students with faculty, staff, or other stakeholders, including:
Acting as an advocate for student concerns that affect the Harvard graduate student community across multiple schools;
Assisting in constructing and coordinating dialogue and action on issues affecting the HGSE student community;
Promoting dialogue, understanding, and reconciliation across traditional lines of division;
Supporting action based on Student Council’s overall advocacy priorities, as determined by the Student Council; and
Engaging with other student organizations at HGSE and across Harvard schools
(Select up to 8)
Ines Bescos Vera (LDIT)
Why are you interested in serving on Student Council?
I am interested in serving the student council because in only 2 weeks I believe that we need to work towards improving the student experience. Additionally, I think that diversity in the council is crucial when communicating peers' ideas to the HGSE Faculty and staff.
What about your previous experiences positions you to effectively serve on Student Council?
I have been class representative in my previous program as well as university ambassador.
Flora Choi (SLP)
Why are you interested in serving on Student Council?
Hello everyone! My name is Flora, a second year School Leadership Program student. I would like to serve on the Student Council because I want to be YOUR advocate in addressing issues. My goal is to meet your needs so that you can have the BEST possible experience at HGSE. I care deeply about representation, which is not to pursue my own goals and ideas - but yours. As a part-time remote student, I am fully aware that some of us are very disappointed in how our program has turned out this year. And I hope to change that by relaying your concerns and thinking of innovative ways to enhance our experience academically and socially. If I am elected, I am committed to fight for the rights and interests of all HGSE students and to build a diverse and inclusive community together. Whether you are a part-time, full-time, remote, and residential student, let us be heard!
What about your previous experiences positions you to effectively serve on Student Council?
Being part of school committees previously has given me the skills to communicate effectively, work with members from diverse cultural background, plan events and set up meetings, and community building. I genuinely love listening to people, hear about their problems, and care about their well-being. I am open to new ideas for improvement, and I understand the importance of confidentiality. I will do my best to engage with you and seek for your input on crucial decisions because your voice matters. Thank you for your consideration. Together, we can work together to envision our ideal HGSE!
Dessiree Cuevas (ELOE)
Why are you interested in serving on Student Council?
After being heavily involved with Associated Students Incorporated (ASI) at the California State University East Bay (CSUEB), I strongly believe I will contribute positively and professionally on a graduate level. During my undergrad, I held different student government positions (First Year Intern, Committees Member, Director of Programming Council, Senator of Online Students & Executive Vice President/Chief of Staff) for ASI. During my time in ASI, I hosted over seventeen events, attended university-wide committees as a voting member, was an advisor from the ASI Senate, and mentor the first-year interns. I also had the opportunity to write around twelve resolutions and had them implemented at my university. As a student leader of CSUEB, I was fortunate enough to be mentored by some of the most innovative minds in higher education and student affairs. Under their guidance, I've honed my advocacy and leadership skills, as well as my knowledge of writing resolutions, developing university-wide events, and advocating at the local and state level. Though serving different student government positions, I have gained valuable knowledge, even having the opportunity to be involved in university projects, but it's time to use my skills to advocate for all HGSE students and make sure we are all being heard and value.
What about your previous experiences positions you to effectively serve on Student Council?
A leader is someone that does not need a title to make a difference. A leader is someone who is dedicated and is willing to learn and listen from others. Throughout my years of being a part of ASI, has help me understand what it truly means to advocate for all. My dedication is what makes me an unstoppable leader. In every position that I have served, I always give it my all. As the previous Executive Vice President/Chief of Staff of ASI at California State University East Bay, I helped start a toiletries initiative, worked with the University President and VP of Student Affairs to have free feminine products located in the restrooms, and worked with the Academic Senate to include a resource statement for homelessness students on the syllabus, and so much more. If given the opportunity to serve on the Student Council, I know I will make sure to find solutions to the current issues impacting our community.
Kanan Dubal (EPA)
Why are you interested in serving on Student Council?
I want to contribute formally in effectively building the new programs and provide a platform for collective students voices. I believe opinions of students body in formal and informal settings can be a powerful tool and I strongly believe in making student voices heard thereby contributing to a fulfilling year at HGSE. More personally, I am social and affable and would love to make this year amazing for other students in my class and cohort. I have an itch in my activist bones and I would use this opportunity very well.
What about your previous experiences positions you to effectively serve on Student Council?
I have not served on the school level council before, but I have held positions of leadership at the department level. I have experience in managing budgets, organizing/creating events and have worked with large groups of volunteers.
Natasha Esteves (LDIT)
Why are you interested in serving on Student Council?
I've seen areas for improvement in building a positive cohort culture that could be facilitated by better communication and/or a liaison setup between incoming students and HGSE's leadership and teaching team.
What about your previous experiences positions you to effectively serve on Student Council?
Since I first joined the Whatsapp group that incoming/ formerly newly admitted students self-organized, I've organized two virtual Happy Hours and have gathered questions from the students for Rilda, one of our program directors, in order to gain and spread some clarity where I saw my fellow classmates confused. Being this sort of liaison/ organizer has been my natural inclination since I accepted the admission offer earlier this year.
Angie Estevez Prada (ELOE)
Why are you interested in serving on Student Council?
As the first class to go through the revamped curriculum at HGSE, we have the opportunity to set a precedent that will engender more positive change in this program. My motivation for running comes in part from this unique opportunity and the belief that I can be an integral part of implementing this positive change.
In ELOE, we have been tasked to reflect upon our strengths and weaknesses as individuals through a series of competencies. One of the competencies is "Thinking Strategically and Leading Change," which challenges us to disrupt inequitable systems. This has become the core of my personal professional motivation as I embark on this program. The urge to create equitable change has come about through my lived experience and career. As a young queer woman of color, I rarely find myself represented or heard by those who hold power and authority, a feeling that is held by too many people. Here at HGSE, we have students from all over the world, from a variety of backgrounds. This program is a microcosm of society within a driven community, tasked with building connections within the field of education to lead change. Along with this, we are also learning to navigate a hybrid experience amongst a launch of a new curriculum. With all of this said, this is a chance for incredible and fruitful dialogue. I want to create a bridge for people who represent different aspects of our society, providing them with other avenues through which they can express their own voices. I am running for student council because I want to set a strong foundation for years to come through the Advocacy and Issues committee. I want to make sure that the diversity and broad range of experience that many bring to this program are valued and heard.
What about your previous experiences positions you to effectively serve on Student Council?
At the core of my career, I have focused on listening to the voices of others and worked to make opportunities more accessible. Originally from Colombia, I immigrated to a small town in rural North Carolina at the age of 5. I excelled in school, but always felt like an outsider when it came to the pathways of upward mobility, especially the higher education system in the United States. I realized how many obstacles were present for people, like myself, who's parents hadn't gone to college in the United States or in other ways weren't on the 'pipeline' to higher education. Since then, I have worked to make higher education more accessible for underrepresented students. I worked at Dartmouth College as an Assistant Director on the Access and Inclusion team and, most recently, as both a College Counselor and Manager of Recruitment at Thrive Scholars. Through these experiences I have created avenues for robust and inclusive environments.
At Dartmouth, I became a part of ABAFAOILSS (the Association for Black Admissions and Financial Aid Officers of the Ivy League and Sister Schools). There I became involved in the constitutional committee, as we worked, and are still working, to take our 50 year old organization from an informal professional networking group to a 501(c)3 status non profit. This experience has been eye opening, illustrating the importance of codifying historical documents in inclusive spaces.
At Thrive Scholars, a community based organization focused on helping high-achieving, low-income, underrepresented students get into and graduate from top colleges, I worked directly with incredible teens confronting the same inhospitable system I did years ago. I quickly noticed a need for affinity spaces to support students' transition into college, especially when entering Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs). I began with an affinity group for Queer students, which rapidly grew to include over eight other groups. The clear success of this initiative was made even more apparent in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Beyond working to create safe spaces for students, I have advocated for more inclusive forms of counseling, including overhauling our selection rubric to have a holistic view of our student experiences, interests and passions.
Along with my core work, I have also been a part of the UChicago Admissions Office Community Based Organizations Council, where I served as an advisor for more inclusive policies and events for the Admissions Office. Informally, I am proud to have worked to increase pay transparency among my colleagues, as well as encouraging them to seek out professional development opportunities and supported them through salary negotiations or promotion discussions.
I am proud to say that I have left the organizations, in which I've worked, better than how I have found them. Through all of this, my mission has been to advance equality and promote visibility to all regardless of background.. This is not only my mission as I complete my degree, but would also be my focus in this position. I invest in the communities I enter and want to work with the community to build equitable pathways that can be built upon going forward. I believe I will not only be an effective member of the Student Council but a transformative one as well.
Betsy Fawcett (EPA)
Why are you interested in serving on Student Council?
In this year of so much change, I think student council is essential to making sure that the school is responding to the needs of students, and this is why I would like to represent our community. HGSE has changed a lot since two years ago when I decided to apply. First, the programs are different. While this change is so exciting and has been obviously thought through carefully by the faculty and staff, as with any change there are going to be growing pains. I want to make sure that students who are feeling those growing pains have a chance to be heard. Second, COVID has changed everything. Again, while it seems like HGSE is at the front of innovation around changes related to COVID, students’ voices need to be heard on the benefits and consequences of virtual learning and flexible course offerings. While this is important for full-time students, I think it is probably most acutely felt by part time students who are joining us from afar. I think it is important to bring their voices to the table as well.
So basically, my pitch is that change, and innovation is often good but as those who are consuming the changes, I think it is important that ALL students’ voices are heard through the changes. I hope as a student council representative that I can make sure that every person has the chance to be heard.
Erica HyoWan Jang (SSP)
Why are you interested in serving on Student Council?
As a returning part-time virtual student, I witnessed what my classmates were going through and how the school responded last year. The global situation may have slightly recovered now compared to the previous year and schools are opening up accordingly, but we can tell that it can not be the same as the time before the pandemic.
I am grateful to the school for the effort of making our learning space safe and professional. However, while we are heading to the post-pandemic era, different systems and administrations can be necessary for embracing both in-person and virtual students.
I would like to participate in ongoing deliberation for improving students' academic, social, and emotional experiences here at HGSE and within the whole of Harvard, on behalf of part-time, virtual, international, female students. By serving on the Student Council, I believe that I will have more chances to speak up for my peers and deliver their voices which I've been hearing from both in-person and virtual students.
Moreover, actively participating in Student Council activities will allow me to develop diverse skills that I would need after graduation. I want to build great experiences by contributing to the school and help my colleagues through communication and collaboration.
It will be an honor to have the chance to serve on the Students Council as a part of the last cohort in the Specialized Studies Program.
What about your previous experiences positions you to effectively serve on Student Council?
I have served as a class president many times in my early ages, and I loved working for my classmates. I have volunteer experience as a Public Relations Committee Chair at my Rotary club, where communication was essential for the job. I served as a concertmaster of orchestras on three continents, leading and guiding musicians to enhance the orchestral sound, frequently mediating arguments between my team and conductors when there were discords.
My years-long living abroad experiences in 6 countries because of studies and careers gave me a broader outlook and a deeper understanding of diverse cultures with unique insights into real-world issues. In addition, being a nonprofit CEO and aspiring social entrepreneur who wishes to contribute to reducing inequality worldwide through education will surely share the school and peers' perspectives.
I think of myself as a bridge-builder who connects people, initiates relationships, and shares ideas and resources through my communication skills. If I could serve on the Student Council, I would contribute to the student body based upon my multicultural experience, artistic and philanthropic background, and communication skills. Thank you for your time and consideration.
Parisa Loftis Hamm (EPA)
Why are you interested in serving on Student Council?
I aim to advocate for my peers by uplifting student voices. This is why I am running for the Student Advocacy and Issues Committee.
As someone who has moved around frequently, I have often had to start anew which can be lonely at times. My way to overcome this is to integrate myself into the community. I have come to deeply value opportunities to be a part of a community where I feel heard and I feel that I have a space. Having a sense of belonging in a community is imperative, especially during this time. I intend to serve the HGSE community by amplifying student voices and ensuring that students have a sense of belonging within the community. This upcoming academic year will have unique challenges, ones which we will overcome as a community.
After reflecting on my why for running for student council, there are a few initiatives I intend to pursue if elected into student council inspired by my experiences, observations, and conversations with other students. By no means is this an exhaustive list.
These initiatives include:
-Bridging a sense of community for those attending HGSE in-person and online.
-Supporting programming that promotes student wellness.
-Providing opportunities for student feedback to ensure that student voices are heard.
-Working with staff and faculty to effectively communicate and share information.
-Collaborating with other graduate schools to give HGSE students an opportunity to meet people in different disciplines.
-Advocating for accessible events and programming which include family friendly events or support options for students with children.
Finally, a personal initiative of mine if elected is to continue to actively listen. I genuinely want to know how your experience is going and I value your input. Whether we meet over Zoom or in-person, I value your voice and insight.
Special thanks and credits to those who have shared what they are looking for from the student council and what your hopes are for the year.
If we have not had an opportunity to talk, I hope to meet you soon and hear your voice.
What about your previous experiences positions you to effectively serve on Student Council?
Prior to HGSE, I served on a spouses' organization at a military base as the chair of membership and hospitality. My initiative in this position was to create an inclusive community. As a military spouse, I have had to frequently start anew and at times entering a new community can be overwhelming and isolating. However, I have been fortunate to have that one person reach out to me and help me find a sense of belonging in the community. I hope to be that person for my peers in the HGSE community.
I was also a teacher, where I worked to ensure that students were a part of an inclusive classroom so that they could thrive. Additionally, I have served on multiple leadership boards and teams. As a part of the Lean In Los Angeles leadership team, I supported outreach, helped train small group facilitators, and assisted in planning networking events.
As an undergraduate, I held multiple leadership roles in different capacities which include:
-President of a student mental health awareness organization
-Secretary of a public relations organization
-Resident Housing Association - Floor senator
-President of the theatre honors society
The most valuable lesson I have learned about leadership from these experiences is the importance of active listening. I am running to amplify your voice. I will support you in making this upcoming academic year memorable.
Wonderly Peralta (LDIT)
Why are you interested in serving on Student Council?
I am interested in serving on Student Council because I want to serve my fellow classmates as a strong advocate for their education at HGSE. Serving on Student Council is important for me because I can make sure the students' voices are heard and validated. Serving on Student Council can allow me to collaborate with other students in doing good for HGSE.
What about your previous experiences positions you to effectively serve on Student Council?
My previous experiences as a math teacher and student leadership/student activities teacher have allowed me to with the Associated Student Body student officers and students to being about exciting change in student body activities and student life at my school. Another experience that I have is a teacher union site representative at my school site, LeyVa Middle School. I was an advocate for teachers at Evergreen Teachers Association in San Jose, California. A position I also served in as a California Teachers Association (CTA) Representative in National Education Association (NEA) Representative Assembly. The NEA Representative Assembly represents all 50 states in strong advocacy for teachers and students. I have served as an Evergreen Teachers Association (ETA) Representative and a CTA Representative for a total of 7 years.
Carson Quillinan (EPA)
Why are you interested in serving on Student Council?
I genuinely believe in the Harvard Graduate School of Education motto "Learn to Change the World." While that sentiment is inspiring and moving, it is ineffective without action. I am interested in serving on the Student Council because I want to uphold this motto and serve my fellow students through accessibility, connection, and intersectional work.
Accessibility: Each student has a place here at HGSE but accessing that place has not always been easy. We even lack a disability advocacy group on campus. As we re-enter a world that's post-lockdown, we will be realizing the collective effects we all endured, and some may have needs that we not realized pre-COVID. Accessibility needs to be even more of a priority. If we have been called to "learn to change the world," we need to invite the world, with all its diversity-- including disability-- to accomplish this goal. My hope is that every student is called into HGSE so that it is a home they are proud of.
Connection: The way in which we connect with each other has been deeply impacted over the past year and a half, leaving some to feel isolated. Part- and full-time students, staff, and faculty need opportunities to come together and build back our community, whether that be over a Zoom meditation or laughing over lunch at Gutman! I hope that by serving on the Student Council, I can help us honestly connect, so that we can learn together now, reflect meaningfully on our pasts, and move forward in impactful ways.
Intersectionality: With a stronger, more connected voice, we will be able to join and work together to address the needs of our students. Many of the issues that affect a group of people do not happen in a vacuum. To make meaningful progress, I want to help make connections between people with aligned needs and goals. Through teamwork, deep listening, and dedication we can make such progress.
We are living in a changed world, which means we need leaders who are empathetic, understanding, equitable, and listen to the needs of the students they are serving. This is why I am interested in serving on the Student Council.
What about your previous experiences positions you to effectively serve on Student Council?
I have served as the president of the Council of Exceptional Children chapter in my undergraduate program in which it was my job to connect students and faculty and organize speakers with a variety of perspectives. I have also been a part of the planning committee for the Oconee County Special Olympics in South Carolina.
I have also served as a policy intern for Disability Rights-Texas (DRTx). I was able to work on projects with diverse stakeholders across a variety of communities. I was able to work with DRTx to advocate for the rights of disabled students in Texas, particularly around discrimination in charter schools, seclusion and restraint, and special education teacher certification.
I have been a special education teacher for the past 4 years, including during the COVID-19 pandemic. I have advocated for my teenaged and young adult students to have better access to their school and community, particularly after witnessing the worsening accessibility conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic. I also have loved ones in my family and close friends with disabilities that I have supported during the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, I served as the lead teacher in my unit. I was able to connect with other teachers and community members, both within the school and outside of the school.
I have served as an event planning and fundraising intern with the Northwest Florida chapter of The Arc Gateway.
Jasmine Stecker (ELOE)
Why are you interested in serving on Student Council?
Representation is an issue that is at the heart of my goals as an EdM student. In my HGSE statement of purpose, I wrote "I truly believe equitable support and representation are two key factors at the heart of creating an environment in which all students can thrive academically and personally." I believe joining HGSE's Student Council will be an opportunity to turn my beliefs into action. As a Student Council member I will seek out my HGSE colleagues who are in need of support, listen to my colleagues' voices and stories, collaborate with my colleagues to find solutions, and make solutions into actions towards change. Even though we have only been at HGSE for a few weeks, I've learned so much from my fellow students and I am eager to give back to our community by serving on Student Council.
What about your previous experiences positions you to effectively serve on Student Council?
Harvard politics and administrative systems are a conundrum. I know this because I have been working at Harvard for years. I've witnessed Student Council members at Harvard Medical School balance the needs of their constituents with the inflexibility of the HMS administration. I've also seen how beautifully students and administration can work together when both sides approach each other with respect and motivation to make positive change. I've had to practice this balance in my own work at HMS as well, and I'm confident that my skills in this area can help HGSE's Student Council as it collaborates with HGSE administration on the issues of community, academics, and policies.
In addition to knowing how to play the Harvard game, I serve on the Black Staff Caucus at HMS as the Communications Committee Chair and previously served on the City of Newton, Mass Youth Commission Advisory Board, both of which have mechanics and goals similar to HGSE's Student Council. These experiences will allow me to comfortably navigate the logistics of serving on Student Council, so I can help the group focus strongly on the needs of HGSE students.
Hisa Streim (HDP)
Why are you interested in serving on Student Council?
A big part of what brought me to HGSE from the classroom was the wish for support and space to make sense of deep challenges and recognize inequities while they play out-- to be transparent and honest about what brings us to the challenges closest to our hearts and keep us there.
I care a lot about others' experiences here at HGSE; I think it's vital to live out the values we study, talk about, and aspire to while we are here as students.
What brought me to working with learners at the margins was being always uncomfortable with exclusion. That's the same thing that makes me want to connect more deeply with peers during this unusually fragmented year.
Max Tang (ELOE)
Why are you interested in serving on Student Council?
As a victim of unbiased discrimination against my identity, I was subjected to various forms of humiliation such as being ridiculed as a queer or fairy during my early childhood. Subsequently, I constantly faced arduous hurdles while acclimating to my college life in the United States as a first-generation overseas student. Moreover, my distinct identity as a first-generation international student, in tandem with my affiliation to the LGBTQ community, enabled me to comprehend the extensive set of challenges involved in pursuing higher education through the culmination of my personal life experiences. Thus, I am imbued with a sense of profound responsibility and motivation to canvas for the prestigious role of the senator at the Student Advocacy and Issue Committee. If elected, I will devote my time towards striving for the advocacy of first-generation college graduates, LGBTQ students, and international freshers to ensure that we receive adequate representation and the enrichment of diversity and inclusion at HGSE.
What about your previous experiences positions you to effectively serve on Student Council?
Over the past few years, I have vigorously toiled to contribute towards the progression of the first-generation and LGBTQ community through the establishment of ProDream Education, which aids community college students, primarily first-generation students, in successfully transitioning to four-year universities. In addition, I have personally mentored numerous LGBTQ students, a vast majority of which are international students, to meticulously navigate their course of life in America and bestow advice when susceptible to harsh treatment owing to their identity. Moreover, I have also served in prominent leadership roles at multiple students' associations during my undergraduate study at UCLA. Specifically, I was selected as the Chief Secretary of the Chinese Scholar and Students Association and Vice President of the Asian Culture Exchange Association. Furthermore, I have actively promoted the rich heritage of Asian culture and harbored the welfare of Chinese students at UCLA through consistent advocacy and conducting school-wide events. Thus, I firmly believe that the culmination of my prior experience and overwhelming passion makes me eligible for the position of the senator at the Student Advocacy and Issue Committee.
Sitong Zhao (HDE)
Why are you interested in serving on Student Council?
As a newly admitted student at the HGSE program, I am deeply attracted by the role of the Student Council in terms of its purpose of improving Harvard students' personal development, especially in helping them overcome potential issues. Such emphasis highly resonates with my personal value, previous living experiences, and future career goal.
The primary reason for my motivation in serving as part of the Student Council is its underlying value as altruism. As a person who would define herself as a helper, I often experience joys and meaningfulness through the process of spreading kindness. Thus, I found the role of Student Council a perfect opportunity for me to offer assistance in our community and contribute to my personal value.
Secondly, my identity as a student also sheds light on my interest in Student Council. After four years of undergraduate studies at the Ohio State University (OSU), I deeply realize the necessity of student affairs, where all students can find assistance when encountering challenges in adapting new environment. Their existence greatly boosts my confidence both as a student and foreigner far from home. Thus, when having the opportunity to serve as part of the council, I will eagerly take the chance.
Finally, I consider this position a precious chance to practice leadership skills and communication skills with peers and faculty. In the future, I would like to become a professional counselor who would be able to advocate the importance of mental health in schools and communities. In this case, being a member of the Student Advocacy and Issues Committee is a highly valued position for me to sharpen my skills and build my future career path.
What about your previous experiences positions you to effectively serve on Student Council?
During my undergraduate years, I've been a wellness coach for a year and a half to provide students guidance for their preferred lifestyles. Besides the experiences of working with students who need assistance, I gradually learned to become an active listener instead of a talker through the process of consulting. Such listening skills would greatly empower me to better listen to students' needs and advocate for them more effectively.
Combing with the work as a wellness coach, my experience as a hotline volunteer in Buckeye Peer Access Line at OSU allows me to serve on Student Council more effectively. Both positions provide me insights into the crucial importance of maintaining mental health and balanced life. Also, I can identify students' needs and provide related resources with relatively objective judgments. Even though there is still a lot to learn, I believe I can gain greatly from the position of Student Council with my previous working experiences.
Besides the volunteering experiences, my identity as an international student and LGBTQ member can also be an advantage. Based on my previous experience both as a student and wellness coach, I find students, including myself, often feel more comfortable talking to people who share similar cultural backgrounds. The sense of familiarity and convenience in communication typically allows the creation of powerful mutual understanding easier. Thus, I believe my identity would contribute to the Harvard community that pays value to diversity and inclusion.