Dr. Leticia Hahn, a New York-based educational consultant, boasts a distinguished record of academic and professional achievements. She holds a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from the University of Connecticut and earned two additional certificates from Harvard University Extension School, one in Corporate Sustainability and Innovation and another in Environmental Policy and International Development.
Despite these credentials, she has learned that having an impact in the education field depends less on titles and more on the relationships she builds.
A mentor once told her, “Leadership is trust first, expertise second.”
That message stayed with her, growing more relevant as her career progressed. While she once believed expertise alone would open doors, she now knows that it’s trust that allows knowledge to create change.
That understanding continues to inform her consulting work, where she makes a meaningful difference in gifted education, sustainability education, and systems thinking.
Teaching With an International Outlook
Dr. Hahn’s career has spanned multiple borders and disciplines, yet gifted education has remained at its center. She has taught courses in Educational Research, Educational Psychology, and Bilingual and Bicultural Education at universities in both the United States and Mexico, bringing different cultural perspectives into the classroom.
She went on to serve as an Associate Professor in the Leadership Department at Niagara University, working closely with the National Center for Research on Gifted Education. In Germany, she joined Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München as a core faculty member and academic advisor in the Psychology of Excellence program, with a particular focus on gifted education and differential psychology.
Her research has explored a wide range of topics, including systems thinking, sustainability, talent development, and gender differences in mathematical problem solving. She has also studied gifted underachievers, enrichment clusters, and knowledge organizers, many times in different cultural contexts.
Beyond teaching and research, Dr. Hahn has led numerous workshops on the Schoolwide Enrichment Model across Europe as well as in North and South America. Her work has been featured in articles and books on talent development and gifted education, and she has presented her findings at conferences both domestically and abroad.
Mentorship as Mutual Growth
When Dr. Hahn started teaching, she followed a more traditional, top-down style. Students were expected to follow her lead, with little room to influence the process. As she moved through roles in academia, consulting, and international collaboration, her approach changed.
“Over time, consulting and international work taught me that participatory and adaptive mentoring leads to stronger commitment,” she explained.
What started as a directive style gradually became more collaborative and flexible. She began creating space for students to take responsibility for their own growth while still holding them to high standards.
Today, she views mentorship as a partnership rather than a one-sided exchange, often using tools like systems-mapping and reflective dialogue to guide discussions. These methods help her students see the bigger picture, and at the same time, also give her a better understanding of their perspective.
By treating mentoring as a collaborative journey, Dr. Hahn empowers mentees to learn from their own discoveries while continuing to grow in her own practice.
Guiding the Next Generation of Leaders
When deciding who to mentor, Dr. Hahn looks for signs of potential. Curiosity is one of the first indicators, followed by resilience and the ability to ask meaningful questions. Once she notices these qualities, she works to create opportunities.
Sometimes that means connecting a student to a mentor or a professional network. At other times, it’s about placing them in the right project.
“Pairing students with sustainability projects has helped them turn abstract interest into concrete action,” she said.
She’s found that those experiences often build both confidence and practical skills.
For Edna Leticia Hernandez de Hahn, the most rewarding part of mentorship is seeing her students find themselves.
“Watching a mentee go from self-doubt to leading research or implementing educational innovations gives me a profound sense of purpose,” she said.
For her, the goal is not only professional growth, but giving students the confidence to take control of their own futures.
Lessons From Working Abroad
Her work has had a profound influence on Dr. Hahn’s career in various countries. She has taught and consulted in Mexico, the United States, Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, each place introducing her to new academic traditions and cultural expectations. Learning to adapt to those differences changed not only the way she taught but also how she mentors others.
“I encourage educators and researchers to embrace cultural differences as strengths that enrich their professional practice,” she stressed.
One of her most challenging projects was in Europe, where she worked with the Pädagogische Akademie Graz in Austria and the Hochschule Basel in Switzerland. Together, they created an international master’s program in Gifted/Talented Education.
Because the program needed to meet three separate accreditation systems, the process was naturally complex. It demanded time, patience, and adaptability, but it also became a pivotal step for regions in Europe that were beginning to develop the field of gifted education.
These international experiences have also shown her what makes collaborative relationships successful. She has found that humility, openness, and the ability to listen are among the most essential qualities.
In her experience, it’s easy for advisors to push their own perspectives onto others, especially in cross-cultural settings. When they resist that tendency by adjusting their style, acknowledging cultural differences, and focusing on shared goals, the outcome is often noticeably positive.
“That mindset fosters respect and allows innovation to emerge across disciplines,” she reflected.
Among her own mentors, Dr. Joseph Renzulli has been the most impactful. His guidance taught her that gifted education isn’t reserved for a select few, but can be extended to all learners.
“That insight helped me integrate systems thinking into talent development – seeing education as a dynamic ecosystem where creativity, higher-order thinking, and inclusivity work together,” she recalled.
Staying Close, Even From Afar
Lety Hahn makes it a priority to stay connected with her mentors and mentees. She maintains these relationships with equal parts consistency and authenticity, ensuring they continue to grow even as circumstances change.
To stay in touch with those who live far away, she relies on texts, calls, or emails. Whenever possible, she meets with them in person at conferences or during visits, adding a deeper level of connection that technology alone can’t match.
Milestones also never go unnoticed. Whether it’s the publication of an article, a career change, or a personal accomplishment, she celebrates each with genuine enthusiasm.
“Relationships built on respect and shared growth transcend distance and time,” she said.
A Legacy of Trust
For Dr. Leticia Hahn, a New York educational consultant, knowledge may create opportunities, but relationships are what give her work meaning. What once was a career measured by achievements has become one defined by integrity, emotional intelligence, and trust.
Whether through teaching, research, international program design, or mentorship, shifting her focus from accolades to connections has enabled her to make a lasting difference in the lives of colleagues, students, and the broader educational community.