Emma Relyea '27

Emma Relyea is a third-year student and Mellon Mays fellow at Northwestern University in the School of Education and Social Policy. She studies social policy and political science with a minor in sociology. The daughter of a public high school teacher, Emma has developed an interest in education policy and wants to expand social opportunities and access to a quality education. She recently completed two years working in an education research lab with Cynthia Coburn, studying pre-K–3 coherence, research-practice partnerships, and a systems-level approach to improving educational infrastructure. Emma now works with Simone Ispa-Landa, assisting her research-practice partnership with an economically and socioeconomically diverse high school. Focusing on how the school engages in performative actions instead of enacting meaningful change in response to accountability policies, Emma brings teacher perspectives to light. Because of her participation in these research projects and her personal experience growing up in Title 1 schools, Emma has realized the need for research attuned to how education policies impact marginalized groups and their surrounding communities. Independently, Emma studies school voucher programs and the inherent disconnect between their stated goals and real-world outcomes. Passionate about public and community schools, she is eager to learn how voucher policies shift resources and enrollment within school districts. Emma hopes to continue her work and obtain her PhD in education policy or the sociology of education. From Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Emma loves the beach, sunsets, and live music.