HGSE Welcomes Incoming Class of Master’s Students

Harvard Graduate School of Education officially welcomed its newest cohort to Cambridge on the first Friday of August with sweltering temperatures and unwavering enthusiasm for the academic journey that lay ahead. Under a tent in Radcliffe Yard, the Ed.M. Class of 2025 gathered in groups of eight at circular tables while faculty and staff officially kicked off the new academic year with high hopes for the future.

The annual event marked the first Welcome Day for Interim Dean Nonie Lesaux, who greeted the Ed School’s newest students and encouraged them to find their place in the learning community. Lesaux echoed the words of Senior Lecturer Junlei Li in encouraging students to “find something new in something known” as they research and learn while on Appian Way.

“Meet this moment with hope and excitement knowing that education is one of our greatest means for human empowerment. Together we begin this work today, knowing that our learners are counting on us,” said Lesaux. “Welcome to our shared pursuit of finding something new in something known. And welcome to your new intellectual home here at HGSE.”

The daylong program featured a number of speakers, as well as a panel of alumni and two faculty members, Fernando Reimers and Karen Brennan. Led by Kevin Boehm, assistant dean for academic affairs, the panel highlighted ways students can find their purpose on campus, make the most of student services and events, and navigate a challenging academic calendar alongside other career and family responsibilities.

Students were given everything they need to succeed in the year ahead on Friday, from inspiration and motivation to more practical learning accessories such as HGSE-branded water bottles and Moleskin notebooks, as well as the nametags and name plates they’ll soon find invaluable once classes begin.

Academic dean Martin West also introduced four members of the Ed School faculty, who delivered eight-minute lectures on their own work at HGSE. Senior Lecturer Elizabeth City spoke about the central role task plays in learning, while Professor Ebony Bridwell-Mitchell began a presentation with screens bookending the stage showing the number 300, the amount of days new students have to learn all they can before commencement in May.

“The question is not actually, what do I need to be doing in the next 300 days,” says Bridwell-Mitchell. “The actual question is, who do I need to be becoming over the next 300 days? That’s what being here at HGSE is all about.”

Associate Professor Peter Blair spoke about his work promoting workers Skilled Through Alternative Routes (STARs), while Li took 15 seconds from his time to advocate for the power of silent reflection, asking the incoming cohort to find a “throughline” to connect their own goals with the lessons they will learn in the coming year.

“A throughline is a thread that starts with where you come from, what motivated you to be here, and what you wanted to do once you leave. It’s that foundation that allowed you to connect the dots between everything that has been shared with you here on stage,” said Li, before leading the tent through a moment of quiet introspection. “I hope this is something you always do as you attend and engage in all these dazzling, impressive learning opportunities here in this community. That you’re always looking for that throughline connecting who you are to everything that is shared here.”

One throughline in the day’s activities was that the cohort’s greatest strength is the welcoming community they now call home. While the cohort has already been hard at work remotely on its Foundations courses, the first day gathered on campus brought new lessons about campus geography and wayfinding. Asking for help, several speakers said, will always be rewarded at HGSE.

“Let your colleagues, whom you will get to know in the coming weeks and months, be not only a source of challenging ideas and perspectives but also a source of meaningful support,” said Lesaux. “HGSE is a caring community. If you want to take a leap, others will want to help you make a safe landing.”