International Women’s Day Spotlight: Trillium Hibbeln on the Biggest Shifts in Education, What Schools Must Prioritize Next, and the Challenges Women Still Face in Leadership
For our International Women’s Day spotlight series, we are proud to feature Trillium Hibbeln, Director of the Commission on International Education at NEASC.
Across her career, Trillium has worked in classrooms, nonprofits, and international school systems–and today, through her leadership in accreditation and continuous improvement, she works with schools around the world to help strengthen practice, culture, and impact. In this reflective Q&A, she shares what global education has taught her about leadership, belonging, student empowerment, and what it means to lead as a woman in education today.
Q: Your career has spanned classrooms, nonprofit leadership, philanthropy, and international accreditation. What first drew you to global education?
Trillium Hibbeln: When I was 22, I had an internship with Lutheran Social Services in Lansing, Michigan. That summer, I spent time with two Haitian youth who had come to the US as unaccompanied minors. It was then that I began to understand the power of education–and what happens when children do not have access to it. These children had never held a pencil, never seen a library, and had never been read to. That experience sparked my desire to do meaningful work that could have even the smallest impact on children’s lives.
Q: You later co-founded The Power of Education Foundation in Haiti. What did that experience teach you about the role education plays in shaping opportunity?
Trillium Hibbeln: It taught me that there is no greater tool for building multi-generational success in communities than education. The children, families, and teachers in Haiti know this deeply. Their education is the one thing that cannot be taken from them. When we opened the community’s first library, children would walk miles before the sun came up just to arrive early and read. Their passion for learning inspires me every day.
Q: Today, as Director of the Commission on International Education at NEASC, you work closely with schools around the world on continuous improvement and accreditation. From your vantage point, what role does accreditation play in strengthening school systems globally?
Trillium Hibbeln: In my current role, I have the privilege to impact hundreds of schools. When NEASC puts a focus on deep learning, child protection, or school governance, the community of over 500 schools and thousands of educators take notice. Accreditation is a catalyst for change that gives leaders the leverage and feedback they need to make meaningful change. We are currently working across the four major US accrediting agencies on a deep set of standards to support schools in becoming more inclusive.
Q: What are some of the most important shifts you’ve seen in international education over the course of your career?
Trillium Hibbeln: I’d like to say that we’ve seen significant systems shifts in student autonomy, but unfortunately that is still only happening in pockets. What I have seen, however, is a greater understanding of the role of wellbeing. While I can’t say all schools have figured out the best ways to support wellbeing for all community members, I do see that almost all schools have finally recognized the importance of their role in wellbeing.
Q: As schools continue to evolve, what do you believe should be some of the biggest priorities for international education in the next decade?
Trillium Hibbeln: First, all members of our communities need to feel seen, feel they belong, and feel supported in their development. Second, we need to break down assessment structures that limit deeper learning and the development of future-ready competencies. And finally, the learners I meet around the world are ready to be given more power to help design their schools and make meaningful changes in the world around them. We need to let them lead, listen more to their voices, and stop dictating every step.
Q: What does being a woman in global education leadership mean to you today?
Trillium Hibbeln: Being a woman in leadership has its unique challenges. As I have grown older, I have learned that I have to be myself. While I work hard to adapt across different cultural and national contexts, I also work to stay true to who I am. I can’t control whether my being a woman in leadership bothers some people–I can only stay true to my values and do the best I can. I try to prove myself through ethical, culturally appropriate, values-based action.
Q: What advice would you offer to women aspiring to lead within international education or global organizations?
Trillium Hibbeln: Volunteer to take on responsibilities that sit outside your job description and show what you can do. Be courageous enough to apply for roles you may not feel 100 percent qualified for. Tell that little voice that says you can’t to be quiet–because you actually can do hard things. That fear is growth waiting for you.
Trillium’s reflections offer something especially meaningful this International Women’s Day: a reminder of the leadership, insight, and impact women continue to bring to education around the world. From accreditation and school improvement to belonging, student empowerment, and values-based leadership, her perspective speaks not only to where international education has been, but where it still needs to go.