With the conclusion of the fall semester, another class of equipped and empowered students are graduating with degrees from Georgia State Online. Their hard work and commitment to completing their goals in education demonstrate the positive impact they’ll have on students for years to come.
Among the graduates are Kelby Cronic, Palak Jani, Jaquelyn Guerrero, and Damarrio Holloway. Earning their master’s in STEM education, these talented educators have the skills and confidence to help the next generation learn.
Kelby Cronic
Kelby Cronic, M.Ed. in STEM education, worked full-time as a teacher while completing his degree. With a concentration in science education, he was able to pursue education without leaving his work because of the flexibility Georgia State offers.
“The professors were great to work with and were available for questions with my work schedule,” Cronic said.
In the STEM education master’s program, Cronic has grown as an educator overall. In the classroom, he has learned to focus on closing the gap of inequality and social injustice.
“My goal is to be a better educator to prepare the students of today for the careers of tomorrow,” Cronic said. “Georgia State's STEM education program is making that possible.”
For those who have not yet pursued a degree, Cronic believes that it is worthwhile.
“It is never too late to further your education,” Cronic said. “Take the next step, it is worth it. “I earned my B.S. in 2005 and decided to get my master’s in 2023, and Georgia State made it possible with their online program.”
Palak Jani
Palak Jani studied STEM Education at Georgia State. She focused on learning innovative teaching strategies that promote engagement in science education in nontraditional and specialty schools settings.
“One of the most impactful moments was collaborating with classmates and guidance from the professors on a project centered around the history of STEM, equity in STEM and lesson planning in various coursework that focused on equity and inclusivity,” Jani said.
With these experiences, Jani was able to identify ways to integrate students’ backgrounds into the curriculum at her specialty school. By ensuring that students felt represented and valued, they were noticeably engaged and excited about learning.
At Georgia State, Jani grew in confidence, as well as in skills like curriculum development and culturally responsive pedagogy. Her advice for Georgia State students is to take advantage of the resources available to them.
“Engaging with professors for their guidance and reading their feedback thoroughly will help you succeed,” Jani said. “The GSU library has a wealth of resources, so use it wisely for research classes.”
As she continues her career in education, Jani hopes to continue teaching and mentoring students while working to increase access to STEM opportunities for all students, despite systemic challenges in place.
“GSU has equipped me with the knowledge, tools, and confidence to design and implement strategies that address the challenges in my classroom and inspired me to consider a future in teacher mentorship or curriculum development to make STEM accessible to all students,” Jani said.
Jaquelyn Guerrero
Jaquelyn Guerrero, M.Ed. in STEM Education, balanced roles as a wife, mother, teacher and student as she pursued her degree at Georgia State. The program equipped her with valuable professional skills and encouraged personal growth.
“Personally, I’ve grown in resilience and confidence,” Guerrero said. “[It] taught me the importance of perseverance and leaning on others for support. Professionally, the program gave me the tools to create a justice-oriented, culturally responsive classroom and advocate for equity in STEM education. It also strengthened my leadership skills, empowering me to mentor colleagues and guide students toward meaningful engagement in STEM.”
Guerrero’s program focused on creating equitable and engaging learning experiences for all students, particularly multilingual learners, with culturally responsive and justice-oriented teaching strategies.
The program taught her how to integrate social-emotional learning into STEM education by designing lessons that foster teamwork, empathy and resilience.
“Seeing my students connect STEM concepts to their lives and grow more confident in their abilities was deeply rewarding,” Guerrero said. “This experience reshaped my teaching philosophy and reinforced the importance of equity and inclusion in education.”
For those considering pursuing a similar path, Guerrero encourages students to utilize the network of people there to support them.
“My advice is to lean into the support systems available at GSU, whether it’s your professors, advisors, or cohort,” Guerrero said. “Balancing work, life, and studies can be challenging, but having a strong community to encourage and guide you makes all the difference. Also, take every opportunity to apply what you’re learning directly to your professional practice, it helps solidify your skills and keeps you motivated.”
Damarrio Holloway
In his 16th year teaching, Damarrio Holloway contemplated leaving K-12, fearing he wasn’t making an impact. Instead, he pursued the masters program in STEM education. Two years later, Holloway earned his degree with a concentration and endorsement in computer science.
“Beginning with the first semester of the program, I was pushed to not only think about what is next in the field of education, but to also act on those thoughts or concepts,” Holloway said. “This program was a true revival of my mission and helped me to redefine my grind as an educator, and become a better advocate for my students.”.
“This program allowed me to learn skills from a student’s perspective, which is something
that is missing from many professional developments or self-taught programs. The purposeful productive struggle we all experienced in every class allowed me to connect with teachers of similar content that I would have not worked with in any other format.”.
Holloway chose to directly challenge his weaknesses through his studies at Georgia State, pursuing what skills would be helpful to his future work.
“One of the many moments that stands out is my experience with computer science, specifically
with programming,” Holloway said. “I have always had some trouble incorporating technology in my lessons, so I decided to make my STEM concentration technology, specifically computer science. During the programming course I learned again what it means to be a student in a course designed for productive study.”
As he moves forward from his studies at Georgia State, Holloway is already looking to write a mathematics course for students that brings together computational thinking skills and computer science principles, as well as mathematical literacy concepts.
“My goal is to have a draft of this course by Dec. 1, 2025,” Holloway said. “I’ll also continue to teach adjunct and incorporate more STEM activities in the classroom with the hopes to help students connect more to their major, while also increasing their mathematical literacy.”