Name: Brandon Brito
Class Year: 2020
Title: Assistant Director of Equity and Inclusion
Organization Name: Meadowbrook School of Weston
1. In one sentence, what does your job entail?
My role is difficult to capture in one sentence, but essentially, I serve with our Director of Equity and Inclusion in implementing all equity and inclusion initiatives and programming. I work with all of our affinity group leaders which include our Meadowbrook Students of Color (MSOC), ETC. (our LGBTQIA+ affinity group,) and our Jewish Affinity Group (Kehillah.) Furthermore, I take a lead role in planning and implementing AWARE (All Working at Racial Equity) curriculum for our Junior Kindergarten to 8th grade. Finally, I also serve on our Admission Committee to help recruit and retain our students.
2. What planned and unplanned events connected you to your industry and your first employer after Holy Cross? How did you learn/decide it was a good fit for you?
I couldn’t have landed where I am without the incredible support at Holy Cross. From my professors like Ginny Ryan, Kendy Hess, and Danielle Poché to the Center for Career Development and mentors like Chris Holguin, Kasey Catlet, and Amit Taneja. Covid had just hit as well and so I was doing a lot of this work at home but I knew I had a team in my corner ready to support me. I remember hopping on numerous zoom calls with Ben Cannon as he mitigated my many fears and anxiety. He was the one that reminded me that it’ll all fall into place… and it did. I started in higher ed and realized quickly, I wanted to work with a k-12 population. 3 years later, I couldn’t be happier than to be in my current role supporting students, faculty, families, and alumni.
3. What were you involved in when you were on campus?
At Holy Cross, I was a first-year RA, an orientation leader, a member of ACT, LASO, and worked with the Chaplains, the Office of Student Involvement, Coolbeans, and the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
4. What was your major and how did it affect your career decisions?
I was a double major in English and Theatre. I always knew I wanted to get into education and originally, I wanted to become a Drama teacher. While that didn’t happen, I found other areas of passion in education.
5. What are one or two skills that you developed at Holy Cross that you use in your work?
Asking for help! This one took me years to finally grasp. It was in my senior year that I finally realized the impact asking for help had. Holy Cross has such a great network and I’ve been able to utilize it as a resource. In my role, I’ve learned the power of saying, “I don’t know” and reaching out to colleagues for support.
6. What advice do you have for students on campus today?
I’ll tell you what many folks told me: Everything will fall into place! It may not feel that way at the moment, but it will. You might not get that job you wanted, or internship, or grade… but it all works out. This still rings true for me as I navigate this professional world. Just recently, I worked so hard to get this job I thought I wanted, and got it but ended up hating it. I was there for 41 days and then found this amazing role that I love so much. What’s meant to be yours…will be yours.
