Spring 2025 Graduate: Alyssa Lund

Name: Alyssa Lund

Major/Degree Program: International EdD in Educational Leadership

Hometown/Current City: Oakland, CA

Hobbies/interests: traveling, cooking, creating art, trail running, anything outdoors

What’s your favorite memory from your time at ECU? Two come to mind: 1 -the first day of class Summer 2023 and Summer 2024 in Bangkok being in a classroom setting ready for the intense learning alongside my peers, 2 – attending the UCEA conference with one cohort colleague, ECU instructors, and past graduates and the joy of sharing space as a colleague to my mentors.

What inspired you to pursue a career in education? I was inspired to become an educator by my own history. I experienced fairly unfavorable circumstances outside of school growing up and found school to be a safe place. I wanted to provide the same for students experiencing significant challenges in and out of school. I was inspired to apply for the ECU EdD program to really stretch myself and learn among similar minded people.

Who has made the biggest impact on your journey here? Learning to dig deep and expose the protected parts of me and my history in order to grow as a leader. Taking part in the activities led so expertly by our instructors allowed me to feel safe enough to take risks leading to unexpected growth. In participating and observing them, I have applied the strategies to my own practice and gained confident and skill as a leader.

What’s next after graduation? I am relocating to Portland, Oregon in a couple of months. No big plans at the moment, but my dreams are 1) expand my reach as an adjunct faculty and get into some administrator credential programs, and 2) work towards building a non-profit to provide no-cost support, and training to families of students with disabilities who do not currently have access to that kind of support.

What advice would you give to future College of Education students? If you are conducting research, choose a topic that you are passionate about, already have a strong knowledge base in, and aligns closely with the work you are/plan to do. Stay on top of things – create a strong individualized organizational system that keeps you on track with deadlines!

How has the College of Education prepared you for the classroom (or your next step?) In every way. I feel more skilled, confident, and eager to do the work that I am passionate about. The program has provided me with the space to grow in ways that I never knew I could.

From Dr. Matthew Militello (Wells Fargo Distinguished Professor in Educational Leadership): Alyssa’s dissertation, Cultivating Supportive and Caring IEP Processes: Addressing the Underlying Conditions for Special Educators, examined an understudied population of students and families. Her study sheds light on the need to cultivate relationships with students with disabilities, their families, and the school educators who need to support them at school. Alyssa connected with students and their families, learning from them in order to create new systems of practice in one California high school.