Celebrating the Class of 2026
By Christine Byrd
June 4, 2026
June 4, 2026
More than 400 students celebrated their graduation from the School of Education at the 2026 Commencement. Here, a few more of those graduates share their plans for the future and how the UC Irvine School of Education prepared them for success.
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Alejandro Granados Vargas Ph.D., ’26: Continuing Work as a Community-Engaged Researcher
Quick Hits
When Alejandro Granados Vargas receives his doctorate in education at the graduate hooding ceremony in June, he will be the first in his family to earn a Ph.D. – his mother proudly looking on. The next stop on his professional journey will be California State University, East Bay, where he has accepted a position as an assistant professor in the Department of Speech, Language, Hearing Sciences. There, he plans to continue his work as a community-engaged researcher, collaborating with the community and fellow faculty on bilingualism research. “UCI has prepared me for this role by providing an environment of experts who have provided mentorship to me to develop as an independent researcher and opportunities to hone my skills as a teacher,” Granados Vargas says. Before coming to UC Irvine’s Ph.D. program in 2021, Granados Vargas earned a bachelor’s in English and linguistics at the University of California, Berkeley and a master’s in speech-language pathology from the University of Texas at Austin. At UC Irvine, his dissertation focused on the Latinx and disabled children’s communication using English and Spanish, as well as non-linguistic communication. He further explored how cultural background influenced children’s and families’ communications practices to better inform teachers and researchers. This research garnered significant support, including a $81,400 fellowship from the Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Award Individual Predoctoral Fellowship through the National Institutes of Health, and a fellowship from Crossing Latinidades Humanities Research Initiative funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. “I have had so many opportunities through the UCI and the School of Education to participate in professional development activities that have shaped me into a stronger leader and educator,” Granados Vargas says. “I appreciate the support from the university to take workshops on crucial skills such as public speaking, effective teaching pedagogy, and grant writing.” Granados Vargas’s dissertation committee included School of Education faculty Elizabeth Peña, Rossella Santagata, and Julie Washington and School of Social Sciences’ faculty Laura Enriquez. “They have all modeled to me what it takes to be equity-oriented researchers who push boundaries to serve the communities they study,” says Granados Vargas. Granados Vargas also found support and a strong sense of community through his peers in the program. “We connected in classes and then would meet up to have dinners, game nights, and outings where we would get to know each other in a non-work/non-academic way. We would spend time together and not talk about work or research, which allowed us to be people outside of academia and replenish our energy,” Granados Vargas says. “The importance of having a community cannot be overstated.” Vertical Divider
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Will Fairbairn ’25, MAT+C ’26: Army Reservist and Anteater
Quick Hits
Will Fairbairn’s call to teaching came in an unexpected place: at the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar. There, serving as a US Army intelligence analyst, Fairbairn volunteered to tutor at the education resource center. An Air Force mechanic asked him for help with an online composition course. “The airman told me at the outset that reading and writing were not for him. I felt as if a gauntlet had been thrown down,” Fairbairn says. “I was going to help this guy pass his class no matter what; and I was going to try and convince him that reading and writing belong to everybody along the way.” The airman didn’t just pass the class, he told Fairbairn that he picked up a book for leisure reading. “It all came together for me, right at that moment,” Fairbairn says. “I finished my deployment, finished my contract, and then applied to UCI to finish my undergraduate degree, with the ultimate goal of pursuing a career in education.” Fairbairn earned his bachelor’s in English in 2025 and enrolled in the Master of Art in Teaching + Credential program in the School of Education the same year. Working in a seventh grade classroom gave him opportunities to share his passion for literary analysis and writing. He created one especially memorable literary extension lesson for The Outsiders, in which students watched the Francis Ford Coppola film adaptation, and then broke down and interpreted book passages and movie scenes. “My time at UCI has cultivated in me a passion and respect for staying on the cutting edge of my practice,” says Fairbairn. “The emphasis on theory and research which is a hallmark of instruction at UCI combined with the practicality from the MAT program has shaped a mindset that is focused on cultivating skills for students now that will be useful tomorrow.” Although he will earn his second degree from UC Irvine this June, Fairbairn isn’t leaving campus just yet. He’s been accepted to the M.F.A. program in writing, where he will have opportunities to put his pedagogical experience to practice as a teaching assistant for undergraduates – while also pursuing his literary aspirations. “My perspective has grown monumentally since coming to UCI. I want to share my enthusiasm for the transformative power of knowledge,” he says. “UCI is a unique university that is absolutely filled with opportunities for growth, both professionally and personally.” |
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Helen Gianhi Hoang ’26: Finding Opportunities and Building Confidence
Quick Hits
Helen Gianhi Hoang felt inspired by teachers throughout elementary, middle and high school, who each left an indelible imprint on her life. She decided to pursue a double major in psychological science and education sciences at UC Irvine, so that she, too, could make a difference in the lives of others. “Though there was not a singular moment or experience that inspired me to pursue education, I realized one day that the moments I really enjoyed were when I was helping or teaching others,” Hoang says. “Teaching seemed to always be something that I did in the classroom to help my friends with math or when I was teaching a dance class.” As a UC Irvine student, Hoang says she was challenged to overcome fears and try things that intimidated her – like conducting research. With support from faculty in the School of Education, she engaged in undergraduate research exploring how project-based learning and direct instruction impact student engagement in higher education. In May, she presented her project at the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program poster symposium. It’s just one example of the payoffs from taking risks at UC Irvine. “A lot of the experiences and connections I have today are outcomes of having conversations I was scared of and unsure about,” says Hoang. “This made me realize that if I had not confronted these fears, I would not have experienced many of my most valuable moments and opportunities.” As part of a fieldwork class, Hoang volunteered in a 6th grade classroom in Irvine, which further cemented her decision to pursue teaching. “Experiencing how clever and talented all the students were felt incredibly rewarding as their uniqueness was shown through their work,” Hoang says. “I realized how much I enjoyed conversing and helping them through their classroom assignments.” After graduating in June, Hoang plans to focus on earning her teaching credential and applying for master’s programs. Thanks to her preparation at UC Irvine, she feels ready for that next step. She says, “UCI has provided me with a holistic understanding of education from evidence-based teaching approaches to understanding the individual student.” Vertical Divider
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