Jodi Birkey
Director of Charter Data & Administrative Manager
Why Briya? Because I’m growing professionally.
My interest in working with an immigrant population was sparked by my parents, who lived in Central America before I was born. Growing up, I became fascinated by different cultures and languages and in college I studied abroad in Ecuador and the Dominican Republic. That’s when I knew I definitely wanted to work with immigrants.
I came to Briya as as a full-time volunteer working both as a digital literacy instructor and as an administrator. From my administrative work, I discovered that I had a passion for working with data.
Now that I’m on staff, I still have multiple roles. I get the social aspect of connecting with families and working directly with immigrants. And then I get to step back and see the school in the bigger picture through data. When I’m working on data in this context, I can connect statistics to faces and stories and that inspires me.
My time at Briya has led me to want to continue my education in this field, which is why I’m currently working on my master’s degree in public administration. I’m grateful to be part of empowering Briya families while also empowering myself to grow in exciting and unexpected ways.
Judy Kittleson
Adult Education Instructor & Coordinator
Why Briya? Because it broadens my worldview.
Growing up in a small Midwestern town, I remember seeing pictures of the war in Vietnam or starving people in Ethiopia, and they felt unreal. The pictures saddened me, but that world wasn’t remotely connected to my world.
But today, children crossing the border alone are my students’ children. I hear of bombings in Syria and think of my students’ relatives huddled in their homes, fearing for their lives. I read about deaths in El Salvador and cry with a student whose family member was murdered there. Making these connections is difficult and painful, but doing so opens my heart and my world.
Working at Briya has made me a better parent, a better teacher, and a better coworker. My students’ stories, insights, and generosity never fail to inspire me. They give me the energy to keep striving to improve.
There is always something more that can be done. But when challenges seem overwhelming, I walk down the hall and see the children playing. I see the adult students laughing and giving each other hugs. And I think that for now, this is enough.
Nury Sandoval
Bilingual Family Literacy PreK Teacher
Why Briya? Because it aligns with my values.
Before I moved to the US from Colombia in 2009, I worked as a teacher in an orphanage. When I came to this country, I knew that I wanted to work with young children, with people living in poverty, and with immigrants. I was looking for a place where I could serve children not only with the best of my professional abilities, but with my whole self.
I found all of this at Briya. I love the model and I love the population we have here. At Briya, one of our fundamental guiding principles is respect towards the human beings we work with, no matter their racial, ethnic, religious, or cultural differences. I love that staff at Briya are always focused on others. Every day since I’ve started working here, I wake up with my heart full when I think of starting another day helping “my” children and their families.
Briya is more than a place of work. Friends in the same field say, “Briya is different.” Coming to work every day fills me professionally and also spiritually. You can feel there is respect not only for the students but also among coworkers. The environment feels like you’re part of a family. I feel happy to be part of a group of people who are passionate about doing their best for the families we serve.
