Lexi Simmerson, MEd '26, always knew she wanted to be a teacher. What she didn't know was that her path would take her somewhere much bigger.

Growing up in Solon, Ohio, near Cleveland, Simmerson noticed at a young age that something wasn't right with the way some schools treated students with disabilities. “Some were so segregated in the school setting," she recalls. “Some had separate art, recess, and lunch away from other students. They were in their own classrooms, in a segregated classroom, and I realized — why are we segregating them so much, and why aren't they included? It really bothered me."

That observation stayed with her. At Ohio University, where she earned her undergraduate degree in special education, she began doing advocacy work on campus — sitting on panels focused on disability inclusion and accessibility. The experience sparked something new. "I'm kind of liking this whole advocacy thing," she remembers thinking. She called her parents to ask for help identifying her next step. They were skeptical of this veering away from classroom teaching, but she started researching graduate programs anyway.

She knew she wanted to be in Washington, DC — close to where education policy is made. After visiting several schools, she found her answer at American University's School of Education. "The minute I visited AU, I was like, this feels like a place where I can valuably learn," she says. The faculty impressed her immediately. "The professors were very welcoming — they were already saying, let me connect you with these people, I know this person in special education. They were just so welcoming and warm." She applied before her senior year of college and looked forward to the transition all through that final year.

Simmerson completed her MEd in Education Policy and Leadership online, but says the virtual format never made her feel distant from her program. Her cohort included educators from across the country and around the world — including classmates from Nigeria and New Orleans. "We would sit on Sundays and Zoom call each other, and we would connect and talk about our days at work," she says. "As much as we learned from our professors, we all got to learn from each other. I'm really lucky that I got to learn from so many different people."

Two professors left a particular mark. Professor Reuben Jacobson helped her see that policy work extends far beyond writing legislation — that there are many ways to be part of change. Professor Elizabeth Roth's education law course pushed her thinking further. "She gave us a different perspective on how we can advocate for policy," Simmerson says, "and she really wanted to connect us to the outside world."

That broader vision has reshaped her plans entirely. Currently teaching special education at the elementary level in Ohio, Simmerson is working with her father to launch an advocacy practice for students with disabilities within the next five years. "Without this program," she says, "I would totally not have ever thought that I could do that."

Her advice to anyone considering the MEd? "Go into the program really open-minded, because there are so many different directions you can go in. You can make a difference no matter where you go."

• Learn more about Baker School's Master of Education in Education Policy and Leadership