USD Magazine Spring 2026

GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES

Lifelong Learner, Global Changemaker To dream beyond borders — that is the mission guiding Susan Aryan Antolin, EdD ’17 (MEd), a USD School of Leadership and Education Sciences (SOLES) graduate and executive director of the nonprofit Women for Afghan Women. The origin of her focus and career trajectory came early, when she saw the importance of educational empowerment as a high school student. “I’m an Afghan-American educator and a nonprofit leader, but my favorite part about myself is I’m a lifelong learner,” she said. In 2011, Antolin pursued her single subject teaching credential in English at USD and spent 10 years teaching in classrooms in San Diego. “I worked with a diverse student body, including many who crossed the United States– Mexico border on a daily basis to attend classes. It was deeply inspiring to witness the commitment of students who chose to pursue their education in the U.S., often navigating long commutes and complex binational lives in order to do so,” she reflected. “This experience deepened my commitment even further to inclusive education and highlighted the unique needs of students navigating complex and cross-cultural identities.”

April 2025, Balkh Province, Afghanistan. Children of incarcerated women enrolled in the Balkh Child Support Center, operated by Women for Afghan Women, participate in a supervised recreational outing to Shadian Natural Park. Shadian is a verdant valley in northern Afghanistan known for its mountainous terrain and natural landscape. Photo: Women for Afghan Women, 2025

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