Amanda Brenes-Pereira ’97
January 2018I started at Brearley in the seventh grade. Before that, I attended public school in Manhattan. My family chose Brearley for its outstanding reputation and the fact that it was an all-girls school. My mother is the daughter of immigrants, and the first person in her family to graduate from a college in the US. Throughout her college years, she worked as a nanny for a young girl who attended Brearley. This job proved particularly life-changing, and she felt that if she ever had a daughter, she would endeavor to provide her with the same quality education.
In the fall of 1991, despite the odds, this dream became a reality. Initially, my transition to Brearley represented a drastic change in all aspects of my life that ultimately helped me to develop a set of character traits that empowered the woman I have become today. These characteristics include perseverance, dedication, an endless love of learning and the confidence in my identity as a woman, to name a few.
Today I work in public health and advocacy services for women and children in underserved areas of New York City. I am most passionate about this work. It is gratifying and comforting to know that the work I do can positively influence the future of vulnerable populations. I am thankful to Brearley for providing an outstanding academic experience which allowed me to realize my full potential, and am delighted to share that my daughter Victoria joined Brearley in kindergarten and is now in seventh grade. I am forever grateful to Brearley for its many gifts to my family.
In the fall of 1991, despite the odds, this dream became a reality. Initially, my transition to Brearley represented a drastic change in all aspects of my life that ultimately helped me to develop a set of character traits that empowered the woman I have become today. These characteristics include perseverance, dedication, an endless love of learning and the confidence in my identity as a woman, to name a few.
Today I work in public health and advocacy services for women and children in underserved areas of New York City. I am most passionate about this work. It is gratifying and comforting to know that the work I do can positively influence the future of vulnerable populations. I am thankful to Brearley for providing an outstanding academic experience which allowed me to realize my full potential, and am delighted to share that my daughter Victoria joined Brearley in kindergarten and is now in seventh grade. I am forever grateful to Brearley for its many gifts to my family.