She came to see that large-scale systemic change rarely reaches the people it’s meant to help, but teaching offered her the chance to make real, human change every day.

“I really figured out that I wanted my life to be built around making substantial and tangible change—every single day—change that I could actually see,” Graff, a secondary education and history double major, explained. Growing up in South Bend, Indiana, with two professor parents who instilled a strong sense of justice in her, she had always been driven to address systemic issues like generational poverty. But it was not until she added the education major that she found her true path forward.

She had never worked with children before—she is the youngest in her family—so teaching felt like uncharted territory. Last summer, she took a leap and joined Generation Teach, spending long days teaching a law class to seventh graders at a middle school summer program.

“It just blew my whole world open,” Graff said of the experience. “I loved just building relationships every day with the kids, being able to provide them with tools to help them protect themselves, kind of what to expect in the real world. I really can’t see myself doing anything else at this point.”

Finding Community and Purpose

Now a junior graduating in 2027, Graff found more than just a career path in the Baker School of Education—she found a community. Taking Sr. Professorial Lecturer DeCuir’s Schools and Society course opened her eyes to diverse pedagogies and teaching philosophies that challenged her preconceptions about education.

“I kind of figured that curriculum was very standard and scripted,” Graff admitted, reflecting on her own frustrating learning experience growing up, where she described herself as a feisty, antsy student. “But [Dr. DeCuir] really taught me that if you really intentionally seek out a community where they appreciate your work and what you want to teach and align with your values, you really can make that desired difference.”

Sr. Professorial Lecturer Ocheze Joseph has also been instrumental in Graff’s journey, recognizing her passion despite joining the program later than some students. “She really worked with me to accommodate my schedule, but still made sure that I was learning,” Graff said. “She checks in with me individually, gives me special tasks, and she’s really taken the time to build that relationship.”

Learning Beyond the Classroom

The Baker School of Education’s emphasis on fieldwork has given Graff invaluable real-world perspective. During a classroom observation at Jackson Reed High School for one of her courses, she sat in on an AP Human Geography class and encountered a map showing food insecurity across Washington, DC. She learned that areas predominantly inhabited by Black communities with significantly lower income rates—places experiencing much more marginalization and systemic discrimination—had drastically fewer resources. One entire ward had only a single grocery store, while she had five within walking distance of her own neighborhood.

“It made me understand my place at American University very differently,” Graff reflected. Now working as a teen mentor at Martha’s Table in Southeast DC, helping students ages 14 to 19 with college and job applications, she carries that understanding with her. “Just having that basic understanding of the map and understanding my life is different, and the privilege that I have, was super helpful for me.”

The wide variety of school visits have also helped Graff determine where she belongs post-graduation. After working with both middle and high schoolers, she gravitates toward older students. “Being a young person, I think I’m pretty hip still,” she said with a laugh. “I think it’s really helpful for them to have a familiar face and someone they can trust, but they also see as a trusted figure, an adult.”

A Different Kind of Success

What strikes Graff most about the Baker School of Education community is its intentionality.

I think it’s a community of people who have made a very intentional choice to prioritize compassion and empathy in their careers. People are not there to attain power, to attain wealth, but they’re really there because they want to make a difference.

For students considering education, Graff offers the advice: “Don’t come in with expectations of what a good career looks like, or a good life looks like, and really lean in to what you love and what makes you happy. I’ve really found that my opportunities have skyrocketed and expanded when I really pursued what I loved.”

Asked to describe her time in the Baker School of Education in three words, Graff responded:

Understood, Loved, Hopeful.