Meet Suet Ling Juliet Chia

“My experiences as a junior college teacher (grade 12) in Singapore, as well as my interaction with leaders within the Ministry of Education as a preschool education officer, helped shape my belief that instructional leaders are not merely those with a vision for the future but those who also remain rooted in ground realities,” says Suet Ling Juliet Chia. “A skillful instructional leader identifies the learning styles of the group but is flexible in adapting to individual needs through customized content. That’s the kind of leader this program has prepared me to be.”

Having launched a career as an educator after majoring in English literature at the National University of Singapore and earning a post-graduate diploma in education from the National Institute of Education, Juliet recalls being dissatisfied with her inability to grow and develop in the ways she dreamed about. “I just wasn’t able to have meaningful conversations about pedagogy, curriculum development, or about improving leadership practices,” she says. So when she won a highly competitive annual scholarship awarded by the Ministry of Education for study overseas, she decided to seize the opportunity.

“This one-year program’s strength in instructional leadership was what drew me to HGSE,” continues Juliet. “My most amazing experiences here all have to do with the people I’ve met. Katherine Boles helping me understand how school culture impacts teacher leadership. Observing faculty transform children’s ideas into observable behaviors and practices through live interaction. Understanding the development trajectory of adult learners from Robert Kegan. Working together with my ‘dream team’ cohort (featuring, among others, a former architect, Peace Corps volunteer, advertising manager, and computer gamer!) for Joe Blatt’s class. I could not have asked for more expertise, empathy, or support. This, truly, is a community where you can be brutally honest about your struggles and challenges as an educator … and learn without the fear of failure.”