Impact Beyond the Classroom

The Intellectual Contribution Award recognizes graduating Ed.M. students (two from each master’s degree program) whose dedication to scholarship enhanced HGSE’s academic community and positively affected fellow students. All recipients were nominated by their classmates based on who inspired them, helped them gain a different perspective on education's challenges, and contributed to shared learning and intellectual growth, both inside and outside of the classroom. Each program's faculty directors, in consultation with other faculty and staff, selected the final honorees for their program based on the nominations and on demonstrated academic success.

Jin Li Lim and Ink Thanajaro will be honored with the Intellectual Contribution Award for the Human Development and Education (HDE) Program during HGSE Convocation exercises on May 28. We asked the winners about their time at HGSE, their future goals, and what drives them in education.

Jin Li Lim

Hometown: Singapore

Jin Li Lim is a dedicated member of our program who brought purpose, seriousness, and rigor to every opportunity to learn. Her peers describe her as a "supportive friend that asks tough questions." They celebrate her many interests and willingness to engage in discussions that encourage their own critical thinking. Her instructor, Adjunct Lecturer Marian Brown, describes her as an "outstanding student and community contributor." Lecturer Joe McIntyre shares that Jin Li "consistently went above and beyond what was required in class. I really enjoyed our conversations about the course concepts and about her own interests. She also took her work really seriously and pushed herself and her groups to excel in their assignments." – HDE faculty

What is something that you learned this year that you will take with you throughout your career in education?  
All great work cannot be done alone, and to balance the demands of being an idealist and an implementer [I learned that] Professor Richard Murnane and Professor John Willett have engaged in 2-to-3-hour meetups weekly for a quarter of a century to debate ideas, and they even took years to resolve some contentious disagreements. I admire their commitment to discussion and the bond they forged. May we all be as blessed to be surrounded by people who challenge and help us grow.  

Despite your busy schedule, you always make time for …
Community. Finding the people with whom I can share jovial disagreements, playful debates, and a meal at the same time is one of my biggest blessings at HGSE. I know these precious friendships will continue to shape my thinking and learning even after my time at HGSE. 

Any advice for incoming HGSE students? 
Learn how to ask succinct questions about what you care about and attend as many office hours as possible (even if you might not have an opportunity to enroll in the faculty’s classes). HGSE has some of the world’s most passionate educational leaders who engage in thoughtful, reflective practice. Their diverse views on the matters you care about will shape your ideas in ways you did not expect. 

Ink Thanajaro

Hometown: Bangkok, Thailand 
Concentration/Pathway: Early Childhood Concentration 

Ink’s passion for enhancing young children’s lives through education runs deep. A humble and quiet achiever, she has used her time at HGSE to develop impactful ways for children and families to access playful, creative learning experiences. Ink’s enthusiastic, curious, and collaborative approach to learning has made her a much-loved member of the HGSE community this year. – Lecturer Louisa Penfold

What were your goals when you came to the Ed School and how have those goals changed? 
HGSE allowed me to pause and reflect on my education journey and deepen my understanding of child development. Coming from a teaching background in early childhood, I was excited to explore how I could further support the children and families I work with. HGSE encouraged me to think beyond the classroom, and I became more curious about how learning happens in everyday spaces, like at home and within other communities. I am particularly drawn to adult and child interactions and how I can best support those relationships in meaningful, accessible, and respectful ways. HGSE helped me better understand myself and gave me space to sit with the questions I brought in and discover new ones along the way. 

Is there a professor or class that significantly shaped your experiences at the Ed School? 
I took Contemporary Art in Early Childhood with Louisa Penfold in the fall. In this class, I explored how art and play can create powerful learning opportunities that support children's development. In the spring, I had the opportunity to apply my knowledge to practice at Nurtury Learning Lab. At Nurtury, Louisa Penfold and I worked closely alongside preschool teachers to introduce Art|Play, a research project in partnership with Project Zero and Boston Public Schools. Together, we created meaningful Art|Play spaces in the classroom and engaged Nurtury grown-ups in conversations about the joy and importance of play. This experience helped me continue exploring the role of documentation, child development, and family engagement in early learning. 

Another class that really shaped me was Empowering Human Relationships Across Developmental Contexts with Junlei Li, a class I took in the spring. Through exploring lived experiences across different childcare communities, I had the opportunity to think about, discuss, and craft equitable solutions to improve child development outcomes. This class pushed me to reflect on what quality relationships mean to me and how that might look across different contexts. It encouraged me to rethink what it means to be present, the value of small moments and interactions, and the power of centering the voices of the people we work with! 

What is something that you learned this year that you will take with you throughout your career in education? 
Learning and growth do not happen alone! My experience from HGSE was enhanced by the many conversations I had with my professors, colleagues, and friends. Hearing different perspectives and having many opportunities to collaborate with peers in projects challenged me to make connections across ideas and contexts.