Winona Thatcher always knew that she wanted people to be the center of her career. However, after completing her undergraduate degree, she took a series of positions that didn't quite align with that core value. It took some soul searching that ultimately lead her to Lehigh University's College of Education—a place where her passion and profession finally clicked.
With over 15 years of dedicated experience in global education, Melissa Gonzales’s career is defined by her deep love for diverse cultures and a calling to impact young lives. Melissa began her teaching journey in 2006 in Texas, where she specialized in inclusion, Pre-K, and primary education (Grades 2 and 3).
Driven by a desire to experience the world and expand her pedagogical perspective, she moved to the United Arab Emirates in 2016, teaching in both Al Ain and Dubai. Backed by a degree in Psychology alongside extensive studies in Sociology and Early Childhood Education, Melissa brings a profound understanding of human development to her current graduate studies in Lehigh’s International School Counseling program.
For sophomore Lucy Norwood, the decision to attend Lehigh University was deeply personal. Norwood grew up in Bethlehem and knew early on that her calling was in the classroom. When researching colleges, she looked for a university that could support her ambitions from day one. Norwood found that Lehigh's College of Education's 4+1 Accelerated Master's Education Program was a perfect fit, allowing her to dive into educational theory as an undergraduate before transitioning into her graduate teaching degree.
Jiayan Zhu is a Ph.D. student in Lehigh's Teaching, Learning, and Technology program, researching how artificial intelligence can benefit STEM education. Specifically, she explores human-AI collaboration—exploring how students can partner with AI to think deeper, solve problems faster, and learn better.