Welcome to the ACE Alumni Spotlight, where we highlight our alumni and share their stories.
Briana Morales was recently named the 2023 Illinois Teacher of the Year for her significant contributions in alternative education. She graduated from ACE in 2020 with an M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction and is now pursuing an Ed.D. in Diversity and Equity in Education from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Morales has an admirable commitment to eliminating youth violence and supporting teen parents through her nonprofit, (Sister)Hood of Hope, Inc. We were excited to learn more about her impactful journey.
ACE: Congratulations on being selected as the Illinois Teacher of the Year! Tells us what it has been like. Are there any particular memories or moments that have stuck with you?
Briana Morales (BM): It has been the honor of a lifetime to be the 2023 Illinois Teacher of the Year. During my yearlong sabbatical, I travelled throughout Illinois and met with educators, administrators and students from almost 100 different schools, districts, colleges and universities to elevate the most noble profession on Earth – teaching!
I have been reminded continuously of the power of relationships in this work and how one caring adult can change the life of a young person. Personally, I have reconnected with many of my own former teachers during my travels, most notably when my father passed away just three months after hearing I’d been selected. Walking into his funeral service, I saw many faces I hadn’t seen in years, but I immediately recognized my freshman English teacher from high school, who was also my dad’s English teacher.
Everything she instilled in my dad as a young person who was preparing for teen parenthood helped him become the father I needed. She stood in for me when my dad needed time to support the young person I was becoming. She prepared him to become a dad and supported me when I said goodbye to him. I learned just a few months after his passing that I was pregnant with my first child, and she was the first person that I called. She is now helping me become a mother.
Teachers have lit up my life at every moment when I thought the darkness might win, and this past year has given me the time and opportunity to thank those who are doing the same thing for students in every corner of our great state.
ACE: You recently founded (Sister)Hood of Hope, Inc., a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering girls of color in the state of Illinois. What inspired you to create this organization?
BM: I founded (Sister)Hood of Hope, Inc. in memory of my former student, Da’Miya Brown. She was a 2021 high school graduate and loving mother of two children who tragically lost her life a year and a half after graduation. As I was only 21 years old when I began my teaching career, I didn’t feel old enough to call my students “kids,” so I lovingly looked at her as my younger sister. This idea of sisterhood bonded us together long after graduation.
“Teachers have lit up my life at every moment when I thought the darkness might win.”
She was a scholar-activist who found her voice through spoken word poetry in my English class, the same way I once did as a student. It was through poetry that we learned from one another’s experiences and grew together. When she passed away, her life had impacted me so deeply that I wanted to continue sharing the legacy of love she left behind with as many people that would listen.
(Sister)Hood of Hope, Inc. was born out of the idea that creating a community of sisterhood can change lives. I deeply believe that sisterhood isn’t just for girls like Da’Miya and I – it’s for all of us. We will never be in front of a young woman who doesn’t need that same love and support. (Sister)Hood of Hope, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to elevating the voices, power and brilliance of girls of color in Illinois through individual mentoring, positive youth development and scholarships for young mothers.
In the fall of 2023, we were featured on “The Drew Barrymore Show,” where I was able to share Da’Miya’s journey and what our work seeks to do for girls just like her. Thanks to a generous $10,000 donation from Drew Barrymore and Five Below, our inaugural program year engaged 20 high school girls across four communities and six different high schools in Illinois.
ACE: What are some of the current initiatives at (Sister)Hood of Hope, and what are ways that people in the ACE community can get involved?
BM: Each high school student in the program is paired with an individual mentor who meets with them monthly to support them in succeeding within and outside of school. They also join their local chapter for a monthly positive youth development session. We use an adapted Positive Youth Development framework that focuses on competence, connection and caring, critical consciousness, confidence, resilience, resistance and contributing to the community. Through journaling, sharing sister stories, community service and deep reflection, our program culminates into an Impact Project where each girl investigates a social issue in their community and devises a plan to address or solve it. These projects are the focus of our annual celebration that we lovingly call our Sister Symposium.
For the 2024-25 school year, we are excited to double our impact by expanding our program to service 40 total girls in grades 9-12 in our Chicago and East St. Louis chapters. Those in the ACE community can learn more about (Sister)Hood of Hope by getting involved as a local mentor or making a donation. We are also actively seeking new partnerships between school districts and community organizations across Illinois that will allow us to increase our impact and serve more girls who need us. Visit our website for more involvement opportunities. We welcome inquiries, questions and connections at [email protected].
“Someone somewhere needs the gifts you bring to this world. Figure out what they are and the platform that best allows you to serve as many people as possible.”
ACE: What advice would you give someone who wants to start an organization for a cause they are passionate about?
BM: Someone somewhere needs the gifts you bring to this world. Figure out what they are and the platform that best allows you to serve as many people as possible.
This work also cannot be done alone. We are so much stronger and impactful together, and for that, it is important to surround yourself with those who believe in your vision and who can help you. I work with an incredible executive board whose strengths, skills and passions drive our organization forward each day. This work would not be possible without them!
ACE: How has your education at ACE impacted your career so far?
BM: My education at ACE prepared me to work with an incredibly diverse group of young people, as I am a career educator in alternative education with students from all backgrounds and walks of life. The coursework spoke to the importance of cultural responsiveness and differentiation that allows each student’s strengths to shine while also supporting them in ways that can take them from where they are to where they need to be academically with hope, dignity and respect.
ACE: What advice would you give someone interested in going back to school?
BM: Advice I would give to someone interested in going back to school is that the time will pass anyway. What will you do with yours? If you were looking for a sign, this is it!
Being an American College of Education alumni has its perks. When you return as an alumni for another program, you can save 5% off your tuition with the Alumni Continuing Education Grant.
