Student Blogs

Wonder what it's like to be a student at Penn GSE? Want to know how your classmates are working on, or how they balance their classes with their lives?

Check out the GSE student blogs, a collection of blogs written and managed by Penn GSE students. They write about classes, assistantships, city life, working - you name it.

Students generally update their blogs weekly, so check back often! (BTW, their remarks are all their own and go live without getting "cleaned up" by the School.)

• Rhiannon Benson from Concord, CA

  • M.S.Ed. student, Higher Education
  • B.A., History and Economics from The University of California- Santa Cruz
  • In her own words: “Penn GSE forms the student experience around the tenet that intellectual and professional development are inextricably linked and are vital to our growth as practitioners in higher education.”

• Lisa Caruso from Arcadia, CA

  • M.S.Ed. student, Counseling and mental Health Services
  • B.A., Psychology from the University of California Irvine (UCI)
  • In her own words: "Penn GSE provided me the perfect opportunity to move to a new city and continue working on my academic and career goals. The range of courses offered, experiential learning opportunities and exceptional faculty were the top reasons why I decided to enroll in this program."

• Kerry Connolly from Pittsburgh, PA

  • M.S.Ed. student, Reading/Writing/Literacy
  • B.S.Ed., Elementary Education from Indiana University of Pennsylvania
  • In her own words: "The reason I chose GSE was because I felt a strong sense of collaborartion between the faculty and the students. When I visited the campus, I felt like everyone seemed to know each other they were all very friendly and helpful."

• Jason Fischer from Highland Park, IL

  • M.S.Ed. student, Teaching Learning & Leadership
    B.A., History from Yale University & a Post Baccalaureate Certificate from Bryn Mawr
  • University of Pennsylvania medical student
  • In his own words: “Penn provided me with the flexibility to pursue the course of study I wanted; not being a traditional education student Penn was very accommodating to allow me to design my course of study to fit my interests.”

• Adilene Flores from Los Angeles, CA

  • M.S.Ed. student, International Educational Developmental Program
  • B.A., Arts in International Relations-Political Science from Wellesley College
  • In her own words: "I decided to come to Penn GSE because here is where I found the best program for my interests, incredibly supportive professors, and the opportunity to live in a city like Philly.”

• Chelsea Fuller from Moreno, Valley, CA

  • M.S.Ed. student, Teacher Education Program – Secondary Education
  • B.A., International Development Studies from the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA)
  • In her own words: “ I was drawn to Penn GSE because it was one of few schools that explicitly mentioned their commitment to preparing teachers that would teach for social justice. I decided to come to Penn because I wanted a experience that would force me to think critically about my teaching and help me move theory into practice."

• Michael Gelsomino from Armonk, NY

  • M.S. student, Statistics, Measurement, Assessment & Research Technology (S.M.A.R.T)
  • B.A., Economics from Haverford College and M.S., Information Systems from NYU
  • In his own words: “While my decision to apply to Penn GSE was based on the uniqueness and versatility of the of the S.M.A.R.T program's curriculum, my decision to come to Penn GSE was based on the schools global presence, accommodating staff, and world class faculty.”

• Melissa Kapadia-Bodi from Philadelphia, PA

  • Ed.D. student, Reading/Writing/Literacy (part-time)
  • B.A., English and Asian American Studies from Temple University
  • In her own words: "Occupying multiple social, academic, and professional spaces at GSE has given me a strange and interesting perspective on the academy, one that I hope to delve deeper into both in my research and writing, and in my blog. One of my goals as a student is to complicate and disrupt my understandings of writing, identity, and power."

• Lindsey Slenger from Denver, CO

  • M.S.Ed. student, Higher Education
  • B.A., Art History from Colgate University
  • In her own words: “ When I visited Penn, I was immeadiately struck by the close relationships that the students had formed in the 'cohort' as well as the relationships with faculty members. I wanted my experience in a graduate program to include incredible courses AND incredible people and that is exactly what I have found at GSE.”

• Nancy Zheng from China

  • M.S.Ed. student, Intercultural Communication
  • B.A., Business Administration from Tsinghua University
  • In her own words: "Dream Big!" 

• Rosa Jacqueline Faith Ziegler from Bridport, Vt

  • M.S. Ed. Student, Teacher Education Program – Elementary Education
  • B.A., Liberal Studies from Sarah Lawrence College
  • In her own words: “I chose GSE because it was the only school I could find that seemed to place just as much value on the networking and community the program creates as it does on the coursework.  I know that when I leave I'll always be able to call on my cohort members, professors, GSE mentor, and classroom mentor for help.”