黑料不打烊

Alumni Spotlight: Julia Goffredi, M.Ed. 鈥�20

Julia Goffredi never expected a graduate program to reshape her career path so dramatically. In 2020, she earned her Master of Education (M.Ed.) in Educational Technology (now Learning Design & Technology) from 黑料不打烊 School of Education. Today, Julia is the Emerging Learning Technology Lead at the University of Baltimore鈥檚 Center for Excellence in Learning, Teaching and Technology (CELTT). 

Before pursuing her graduate degree, Julia was teaching World Languages and feeling uncertain about her next step.  

鈥淚 knew I didn鈥檛 want to continue studying in that exact direction, but I also wasn鈥檛 sure what my next step should be,鈥� she said. When she discovered Loyola鈥檚 fully online, accelerated program, along with its tuition discount for Catholic school teachers, it felt like the right fit. 

Julia was already drawn to the creative side of integrating technology into the classroom, from using Francophone music during work time to building interactive virtual tours and phonetics exercises.  

鈥淚 had always enjoyed experimenting with digital tools. Loyola鈥檚 program gave me a chance to build on that interest in a way that opened up new possibilities for my career,鈥� Julia said. 

While earning her degree, Julia continued teaching full-time. Being both a teacher and a student gave her a deeper understanding of the learning process and helped her reflect more intentionally on both roles. 

鈥淚 began to see the classroom differently. I wasn鈥檛 just leading instruction, I was also experiencing it as a learner,鈥� Julia said. 鈥淭hat experience deepened my empathy for my students and helped me appreciate the intentionality behind my professors鈥� choices, too. It wasn鈥檛 always easy, but it made me more reflective in both roles.鈥� 

Despite the program鈥檚 virtual format, Julia also found connection and camaraderie with her cohort. Through Zoom and a lively group chat, they supported one another, shared resources, and celebrated milestones together. 鈥淚 still collaborate with several members of that cohort, even though I鈥檝e since transitioned out of the K-12 classroom,鈥� she said. 

In her current role at the University of Baltimore, Julia coordinates campus-wide initiatives like New Faculty Orientation, Teaching & Learning Days, and Thank a Teacher celebrations. She has also helped launch several major initiatives, including the Teaching Scholars in Residence program, the Teaching Excellence Framework, and the university鈥檚 annual AI Summit.  

鈥淚t鈥檚 hard to overstate the impact this degree has had on my professional path,鈥� she said. 鈥淲hat started as a feeling of being stuck has turned into a career that feels dynamic and full of possibility.鈥� 

Julia credits Loyola鈥檚 program and values for blending ethical inquiry with practical skills, with emphasis on service, justice, and equity in education.  

鈥淚t was a space where we were asked to reflect deeply on our work and the role technology plays in shaping access and opportunity,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hat kind of ethical grounding, paired with a forward-thinking approach to educational tools, made the experience distinctive and lasting.鈥� 

One course during the program, Social Justice and Educational Technology, stood out as especially formative to Julia.  

鈥淲e explored what it means to evaluate digital tools through a technoethical lens with a framework I still use today,鈥� Julia said. 鈥淭hat class grounded me in values I carry into every conversation about emerging learning tech.鈥� 

The work Julia is doing now is a direct extension of her Loyola education. This past semester, she led a Professional Learning Community focused on Nearpod, a tool widely used in K-12 but still emerging in higher ed. She鈥檚 also deeply involved in Open Educational Resources (OER) initiatives, working to expand access for the University of Baltimore鈥檚 diverse and often non-traditional student body. 

鈥淚n both of these roles, I see my responsibility as helping faculty feel more prepared and empowered to support the unique needs of our student body, something my Loyola coursework encouraged me to think about critically and often,鈥� she said 

For prospective graduate students considering the School of Education at Loyola, Julia offers this insight: 

鈥淕raduate school isn鈥檛 easy, but it doesn鈥檛 have to feel impossible. The workload can be intense, especially if you're juggling full-time teaching or other responsibilities, but I always felt supported by my professors and by the peers in my cohort. That sense of community made a big difference,鈥� she said.  

鈥淢ore than anything, I鈥檇 encourage someone not to give up on education. Education doesn鈥檛 only happen in classrooms, and the skills you build here can carry you into all kinds of careers.鈥� 

Are you ready to make a shift in your educational career? Explore 黑料不打烊鈥檚 graduate programs in education.