Name - Brittany Knight
Degree/graduating year - MEd - Higher Education, 2016
Location - Kalamazoo, MI
HAEd position - Detroit, Michigan Chapter Co-Chair
Current job - Executive Director, The Joyce Ivy Foundation
3 fun facts - 1.) Lost my last baby tooth on a college visit to Duke; 2.) Moved seven times before starting high school; 3.) Majored in Mandarin Chinese
Why did you join HAEd? I joined HAEd to find a local community of people who are committed to education who I could collaborate with and learn from.
What do you hope to achieve through HAEd? I hope to bring together individuals who are passionate about education so that together we can increase our collective impact!
How did you get involved in education? I serendipitously found my way to a career in higher education. After college, my first job was working at a boutique investment bank in Burlington, VT. It was not at all for me and after about one year, I started the hunt for a new job. While I was still working at the investment bank, I began to volunteer with my alma mater, Middlebury College, by interviewing prospective high school students. I LOVED being able to connect with students, learn about their passions, and help to guide them in their post-high school thinking. Knowing that I was local in Vermont, the volunteer coordinator at the Middlebury Admissions Office reached out to let me know that there was an opening in the office. It was around that same time that I had recently quit my job at the investment bank. The timing could not have been more perfect and I started as an Admissions Counselor within two weeks. The rest is history!
What is something that inspires you? In my current role, I work closely with high school women who are pursuing pre college summer learning opportunities. These young women inspire me every day with their curiosity, drive, intellect, and courage! They are the next generation of female leadership.
What is the most memorable experience you remember from your time at Harvard? I absolutely loved connecting with my cohort at Harvard, both in and outside of the classroom. Many of them are my closest friends and I know I can always pick up the phone to chat about anything...education or anything else!
What advice do you have for other Harvard alumni? Keep doing the great work you're doing! The opportunity to attend a place like Harvard is a privilege and my hope is that we can all use this privilege to make the world around us a little better.