Gratitude for My Professional Journey

by Nayoung Kim-Weaver

November is Gratitude Month at The Worthy Educator!

Dear Worthy Educator Community,

As November ushers in Gratitude Month, I find myself reflecting on the mentors, communities, and platforms that have shaped my journey as an educator and advocate. One organization stands out in this reflection: the Association of International Educators and Leaders of Color (AIELOC).

From the moment I connected with AIELOC, I recognized the transformative potential of a space intentionally created for educators and leaders of color. For those of us navigating systems that can often feel isolating or even harmful, AIELOC provides an essential platform - a space that affirms our identities, sustains our cultural perspectives, and validates our voices. Its commitment to race-literate, culturally sustaining, and socially just practices is not just theoretical; it is enacted through mentorship and femtorship, professional development, and ongoing community support. In these spaces, I have been able to share my experiences without the need to dilute or explain them to fit pre-existing frameworks. That freedom has been empowering, affirming, and deeply transformative.

My journey with AIELOC has been multi-faceted. I’ve had the honor of serving as a Cultural Wealth Practitioner, which allowed me to engage deeply with the organization’s principles and apply them meaningfully in my work. In this role, I organized workshops with fellow educators, facilitated dialogue around identity, and helped us co-evolve along various parts of the lifelong learning journey. I was also an Aspiring Leaders of Color mentee, a role that provided mentorship, reflection, and guidance as I developed my leadership capacity. My femtor helped me navigate the often-unspoken challenges of leadership as a woman of color in international contexts, offering advice that was both practical and visionary. Additionally, I served as an AIELOC Fellow from May 2021 to August 2022, gaining invaluable opportunities to learn from and collaborate with inspiring educators across the globe, all committed to social justice and systemic change. These experiences reinforced that leadership is not just about holding a title - it is about fostering spaces where others can thrive, challenging inequities, and acting with courage and humility.

Another cornerstone of my growth has been the AIELOC DEIJ Leaders Certificate Program. Having engaged in numerous DEIJ programs over the years, this one stands apart: it is hands-on, highly relevant, and immediately applicable to the complex realities of international schools. Each module challenged me to examine my own assumptions, reflect critically on institutional norms, and develop tangible strategies for creating inclusive, equitable classroom environments. Through this program, I was able to develop a school-wide Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Justice, and Belonging (DEIJB) action plan, which is currently being implemented at my school. This plan ensures that policies, curricula, and practices center equity and belonging for all students and staff, translating learning into meaningful action across the school community.

Equally meaningful has been the recognition AIELOC offers its members. Receiving the Award for Equity and Justice in January 2024 was a profound honor, affirming my efforts to advocate for change, lead with courage, and amplify voices often unheard. This recognition was not merely symbolic; it represented a collective acknowledgment of the labor, creativity, and care required to sustain equity-focused initiatives. These roles, programs, and honors are not just accolades - they are evidence of a living mission that nurtures leaders committed to justice, care, and transformation.

Through AIELOC, I’ve found a community that challenges me to grow, reflects my values, and encourages vulnerability as a strength in leadership. It reminds me daily that advocating for justice is not only necessary work but a shared, sustained effort that thrives in spaces of care, accountability, and collaboration. Whether in mentoring circles, certificate program workshops, or fellowship cohorts, the learning I have gained has been both personal and professional, helping me refine my practice and deepen my understanding of the systemic barriers that affect educators and learners of color.

As a current Ph.D. candidate in the Education for Social Justice program, I see the impact of AIELOC in new ways. My research explores how women of color navigate and transform international school environments, and the principles and frameworks I have encountered through AIELOC are foundational to this work. They provide both the theoretical grounding and relational scaffolding needed to examine systemic inequities critically, interpret narratives with nuance, amplify the importance of collective storywork and relational meaning-making, and propose actionable recommendations for more equitable and liberatory educational spaces.

This November, as I reflect on gratitude, I am profoundly thankful for Kevin Simpson and the AIELOC team for cultivating this space, for every mentor and colleague who has contributed to my growth, and for the students, educators, and leaders whose courage and vision continue to inspire me. AIELOC is more than an organization; it is a movement toward a more just, inclusive, and equitable world in education. It is a reminder that authentic advocacy requires both heart and rigor, that meaningful change is built collaboratively, and that educators’ labor - particularly the labor of those historically resilient - is worthy of recognition, care, and support.

To all educators striving to make meaningful change: may we continue to learn, advocate, and create spaces where every voice matters. May we embrace the responsibility to mentor, challenge inequities, and nurture the next generation of leaders who will shape more just and equitable educational communities.

With gratitude,

Nayoung Kim-Weaver is a teacher of the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Program (MYP) and Mathematics, as well as serving as the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Justice, and Belonging (DEIJB) Coordinator at the Copenhagen International School in Denmark. She co-authored "Creating a Foundation for Learning through Intentional Community Building" with Rama Ndiaye in the Winter 2025 issue of Legacy: Transformation in Action. You can contact Chanel via email here.

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