She has spent twenty-two years as a researcher and magazine correspondent in Tokyo, London and Istanbul before moving to New York. Ilgin speaks Turkish, Japanese and French. Her two kids went through school choice process 2015-2016 school year while she attempted to “un”covering mysteries around it by immersing herself in covering education class at Columbia Journalism School. Her master’s project is about transformation of a Catholic school in South Bronx. When she’s not following Schools Chancellor from town hall to town hall and tweeting at @ilginyorulmaz, she’s leading her local Boy Scout troop.