Student Profiles
Student Profiles
Betsy Leong (EdD ’25)
Loyola’s Curriculum, Cultures, and Communities (3Cs) EdD program played a pivotal role in helping Betsy Leong sharpen her work as senior educator with the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry’s Science Leadership Initiative. The Loyola doctoral program provided Leong a sturdy foundation in history, policy, and research, enabling her to advocate for systemic change and support teachers navigating a complex and rapidly evolving educational landscape.
Leong credits her dissertation chair, Lara Smetana, and her supportive cohort for providing her the necessary encouragement to persist. Now a confident leader, Leong uses her Loyola-forged expertise to drive whole-school transformations and forge a positive impact on learners.
“I would not have been fully equipped to do the sort of transformational work we are striving to create without the 3Cs,” Leong says.
Alicia Oladipo (MEd ’25)
For Alicia Oladipo, the higher education program’s emphasis on reflection and service learning sparked a personal and professional transformation.
“Reflection informs my actions, prompting me to pause and think critically about my place in the world and the impact I have on others,” says Oladipo, assistant director for Loyola University Chicago’s Graduate and Professional Enrollment Management.
The Loyola program’s focus on community-based service, meanwhile, helped Oladipo bridge the gap between theory and real-world impact. Oladipo credits engagement with local communities for deepening her sense of empathy and sharpening her ability to advocate for others.
“I’ve become more attuned to perspectives different from my own and make a conscious effort to understand others’ lived experiences,” says Oladipo, a recipient of the School of Education’s Transformative Research Excellence Award.
Aliki Siao (MEd/EdS ’25)
Coming from the Philippines, Aliki Siao witnessed firsthand how social and economic disparities could limit educational opportunities. It sparked a passion for social justice and steered her to Loyola’s school psychology program.
At Loyola, Siao found more than a lively academic program: She found a mission. Through coursework and hands-on experiences, Siao discovered education’s ability to promote equity and empowerment. It shaped her belief that ethical leadership in education involves advocating for academic excellence and ensuring every student receives the support they need to thrive.
Equipped with empathy, clinical tools, and a mission-driven mindset, Siao marched into her postgraduate life prepared to be a “person for others” in educational settings.
“When children receive the right support early on, it can change the entire trajectory of their lives,” she says.
Jake Bartilad (BSEd ’25)
Drawn to the School of Education’s field-based curriculum, Jake Bartilad gained firsthand experience at multiple public schools, which enabled him to connect academic theories and classroom realities. Loyola’s core emphasis on equity and social justice, meanwhile, fundamentally shifted Bartilad’s worldview, teaching him to analyze educational systems through a critical, advocacy-driven lens.
At Loyola, Bartilad says he certainly learned how to teach. Even more, though, he learned how to lead. He sharpened practices to foster inclusive spaces imparting knowledge, instilling confidence, and celebrating diversity.
“It’s super important to be the advocate for the voiceless or those who don’t have the resources,” he says. “All students bring in their different identities and different lived experiences, and that should be something that is celebrated in the classroom.”
Katie Emery (BSEd ’25)
The opportunity to gain immediate experience in school settings drew Katie Emery to Loyola’s Teaching, Learning, and Leading with Schools and Communities (TLLSC) program. From her first semester at Loyola onward, Emery was in classrooms discovering the realities of being a teacher in today’s diverse classrooms.
While Emery specialized in secondary education and mathematics, she also earned an English as a Second Language (ESL) endorsement, a credential embedded in Loyola’s teacher preparation program. In working with English language learners in local school settings, Emery’s pedagogical perspectives evolved, especially as she learned about mathematics education in other global contexts. Her desire to support English language learners, an often underserved group in American education, grew as well.
Bolstered by dedicated faculty mentorship and a supportive, close-knit cohort throughout her undergraduate career at Loyola, Emery says she developed the cultural competence and practical confidence necessary to succeed as a modern-day educator.
Student Profiles
Betsy Leong (EdD ’25)
Loyola’s Curriculum, Cultures, and Communities (3Cs) EdD program played a pivotal role in helping Betsy Leong sharpen her work as senior educator with the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry’s Science Leadership Initiative. The Loyola doctoral program provided Leong a sturdy foundation in history, policy, and research, enabling her to advocate for systemic change and support teachers navigating a complex and rapidly evolving educational landscape.
Leong credits her dissertation chair, Lara Smetana, and her supportive cohort for providing her the necessary encouragement to persist. Now a confident leader, Leong uses her Loyola-forged expertise to drive whole-school transformations and forge a positive impact on learners.
“I would not have been fully equipped to do the sort of transformational work we are striving to create without the 3Cs,” Leong says.
Alicia Oladipo (MEd ’25)
For Alicia Oladipo, the higher education program’s emphasis on reflection and service learning sparked a personal and professional transformation.
“Reflection informs my actions, prompting me to pause and think critically about my place in the world and the impact I have on others,” says Oladipo, assistant director for Loyola University Chicago’s Graduate and Professional Enrollment Management.
The Loyola program’s focus on community-based service, meanwhile, helped Oladipo bridge the gap between theory and real-world impact. Oladipo credits engagement with local communities for deepening her sense of empathy and sharpening her ability to advocate for others.
“I’ve become more attuned to perspectives different from my own and make a conscious effort to understand others’ lived experiences,” says Oladipo, a recipient of the School of Education’s Transformative Research Excellence Award.
Aliki Siao (MEd/EdS ’25)
Coming from the Philippines, Aliki Siao witnessed firsthand how social and economic disparities could limit educational opportunities. It sparked a passion for social justice and steered her to Loyola’s school psychology program.
At Loyola, Siao found more than a lively academic program: She found a mission. Through coursework and hands-on experiences, Siao discovered education’s ability to promote equity and empowerment. It shaped her belief that ethical leadership in education involves advocating for academic excellence and ensuring every student receives the support they need to thrive.
Equipped with empathy, clinical tools, and a mission-driven mindset, Siao marched into her postgraduate life prepared to be a “person for others” in educational settings.
“When children receive the right support early on, it can change the entire trajectory of their lives,” she says.
Jake Bartilad (BSEd ’25)
Drawn to the School of Education’s field-based curriculum, Jake Bartilad gained firsthand experience at multiple public schools, which enabled him to connect academic theories and classroom realities. Loyola’s core emphasis on equity and social justice, meanwhile, fundamentally shifted Bartilad’s worldview, teaching him to analyze educational systems through a critical, advocacy-driven lens.
At Loyola, Bartilad says he certainly learned how to teach. Even more, though, he learned how to lead. He sharpened practices to foster inclusive spaces imparting knowledge, instilling confidence, and celebrating diversity.
“It’s super important to be the advocate for the voiceless or those who don’t have the resources,” he says. “All students bring in their different identities and different lived experiences, and that should be something that is celebrated in the classroom.”
Katie Emery (BSEd ’25)
The opportunity to gain immediate experience in school settings drew Katie Emery to Loyola’s Teaching, Learning, and Leading with Schools and Communities (TLLSC) program. From her first semester at Loyola onward, Emery was in classrooms discovering the realities of being a teacher in today’s diverse classrooms.
While Emery specialized in secondary education and mathematics, she also earned an English as a Second Language (ESL) endorsement, a credential embedded in Loyola’s teacher preparation program. In working with English language learners in local school settings, Emery’s pedagogical perspectives evolved, especially as she learned about mathematics education in other global contexts. Her desire to support English language learners, an often underserved group in American education, grew as well.
Bolstered by dedicated faculty mentorship and a supportive, close-knit cohort throughout her undergraduate career at Loyola, Emery says she developed the cultural competence and practical confidence necessary to succeed as a modern-day educator.