✨ 2025 Highlights & What’s Next in 2026
Looking Back on 2025
This year has been a whirlwind — equal parts exhilarating, exhausting, and humbling. I’ve had some big wins:
Professional Milestones
🎤 Presentations in Boston, San Antonio, Philadelphia, Austin, and Orlando
🏆 Receiving a Franklin Award at the Department of State
🚀 Starting my own business, Gardy Learning Design Studio
🤝 Becoming a member of the LeveragED Foundation's Collective
📚 Editing Carl Hooker's newest book, Zengaged: An Educator's Guide to Teaching the Anxious Generation
📝 Beginning editorial work on X‑Factor EDU’s Educational Leadership series
Learning & Growth
📊 Diving into courses on data analysis, business, proofreading, and editing
🎓 Attending ATD and the Editorial Freelancers Association’s online convention for the first time
📖 Reading over 100 books
🇫🇷 Improving my French from A2 to high B1
Life & Adventure
🌍 Traveling to 3 countries, 6 new states, and driving the entire East Coast 95 corridor
🐠 Being bitten by a trigger fish
👩👩👦 Quality time with family and friends, especially with my mom
🎨 Setting myself up for a career pivot that feels both terrifying and thrilling
One of the biggest milestones this year was transitioning from my career at the U.S. Department of State, where I spent just shy of 15 years. That chapter shaped me in ways I’m still discovering — the opportunities to lead, learn, and contribute globally were extraordinary, and the colleagues I worked alongside remain some of the most dedicated, brilliant people I’ve ever known. I miss them deeply. Even though I'm still local and attend events from time to time, I miss the daily interaction — the quick check-ins, the laughter, and the water-cooler conversations under the Branch Chief tree in the kitchen.
Stepping away wasn’t about leaving something behind; it was about honoring everything that chapter gave me and carrying it forward. The skills, the relationships, the lessons, and the global perspective I gained there are the foundation of the work I’m doing now. I wanted to take all of that and channel it into a new venture where I could make a more direct, personal impact as a consultant and editor. It’s a big step, and I’m hopeful that with time, care, and community, it will become the work I’m meant to do.
Of course, not every step has been graceful. Starting a business often means Googling things at midnight, realizing you’ve misunderstood a tax form, and reminding yourself that failure is part of the process. But those stumbles are part of the learning curve, and they’re what make the wins even sweeter.
Presentations in 2025
Here’s the full lineup of where I shared ideas this year:
MASSCUE 2025 (Foxboro, MA) - From Screens to Scenes: Reinventing Global Learning Experiences and Roll for Innovation: Harnessing AI, Game-Based Learning, and Design Thinking to Transform Assessment
ISTE 2025 (San Antonio, TX)- Tabletop Thinking & Learning: A Game-Based ISTE Playground (primary organizer & presenter)
Tech & Learning New England 2025 (Boston, MA) Building Virtual Learning Spaces (table discussion leader)
SXSW EDU 2025 (Austin, TX) Bridging Borders: Global Potential via English Exchanges and mentor
EduCon 2025 (Philadelphia, PA) Heroic Perspectives: Using Comics to Foster Empathy and Understanding
FETC 2025 (Orlando, FL) The Innovative Educator: Empathy-Driven Instruction and Creative Technology for K-12+ and Catalyzing Global Education Through Virtual Exchanges and EdTech Tools
Adventures Along the Way
This year took me everywhere from Paris to the Outer Banks, with road trips through eight states and a family Thanksgiving cruise through the Caribbean. Each trip reminded me that learning happens as much in conversations and connections as it does in conference sessions, AND that it’s important to connect with family and have some fun despite being in stressful times.
What’s Next in 2026
Looking ahead, I’m excited (and slightly nervous) about what’s coming:
🌟 Continuing to grow Gardy Learning Design Studio and building a steady client base
📈 Expanding services as I keep training and learning
🎤 Presenting at FETC and EduCon, mentoring at SXSW EDU, and presenting at ISTE
🛍️ Launching an Etsy shop for printables and educator support materials
🔒 Publishing a “super secret project” (details to come!)
🖌️ Carving out time for art and creative play
💡 Building confidence to approach people about my business (because yes, I still get nervous hitting “send” on those emails…)
🌱 Getting more involved in local community events
💕 Supporting my son as he navigates middle school
🌐 Expanding my website to serve not just as a services hub, but also as a central place for presentation materials and forthcoming tip sheets
I know I won’t get everything right. Some pitches will flop, some projects will stall, and some days I’ll wonder why I thought entrepreneurship was a good idea. But that’s part of the journey.
Closing Thoughts
As this year winds down, I keep coming back to the people who made it meaningful — the colleagues who shared ideas, the friends who offered encouragement, the mentors who opened doors, and the collaborators who reminded me what’s possible when we build together. I’m grateful for every conversation, every introduction, every spark of inspiration. None of this work happens alone, and I’m lucky to be surrounded by a community that believes in growth, creativity, and generosity.
As I step into 2026, I’m carrying that energy with me — the sense of possibility that comes from being connected to people who care, who create, and who show up. I’m excited for the friendships that deepen, the partnerships that emerge, and the ideas we’ll bring to life together.
“Move toward the next thing, not away from the last thing. Same direction. Completely different energy.” — James Clear
🚀 Your Next Step
The New Year is the perfect time to stop putting off the projects that matter most. Don’t wait until January is half gone — book a discovery call today and set yourself up for success in 2026.
📅 Schedule your call now through Gardy Learning Design Studio and let’s make sure your best voice moves forward. https://www.jacquiegardy.com/contact
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