As a child, Brittany Barber stood in awe of her mother. A pillar in their community of Elgin, her mother taught her sister and her about history, how to cook, and how to connect and care for people. This experience was, in many ways, the catalyst for what would shape Barber鈥檚 career; a career dedicated to serving others.
From being a student life coordinator for targeted populations at Elgin Community College to running an after-school program for middle schoolers through the Outreach Community Center to her new position as manager of the Cultural Center at 91制片厂, Barber continues to lead by her mother鈥檚 example. When she鈥檚 not out enriching her community, you can find her with a cup of coffee, rocking out to Jimmy Eat World.
My perfect day would start off quiet with a cup of coffee, followed by a trip to the city where I鈥檇 find a spot to do some reading and writing. From there, I鈥檇 catch a play before checking into a hotel and eating tacos in bed!
Yellow. When I was growing up, I was afraid to shine, so I wore anything that would blend me in. These days, I tend to think the brighter the better!
Andre Layton from the show Snowpiercer. In such extreme circumstances, I admire his commitment to doing what鈥檚 right. He鈥檚 an advocate for democracy and the people, but has his own flaws as well which makes him relatable.
I would love to make a documentary about what it鈥檚 like to be a middle schooler right now. They get such a bad rap for being awkward, honest or mean, but we tend to forget that they鈥檙e dealing with a lot of changes all at once. I have a heart for anyone who feels lost, so I would love to create a space for middle schoolers to be seen and understood.
I think they would say 鈥渨ho you see is who you get.鈥� I鈥檒l never forget, when I turned 16, my family threw me a birthday party and it was awful because they invited all these friends from all these different categories in my life, and I didn鈥檛 know how to act! From that moment on, I鈥檝e committed to being my most authentic self no matter who I鈥檓 with.
My bed without a toddler in it.
I often wonder why we let ourselves get stuck in different areas of our life. When the door is there to escape what pains us, what makes some of us stay where we are? Even in my life, there have been difficult times that I endured, but once I finally committed to change, it was so freeing for me and beneficial to the people in my life, too.
I鈥檓 really just hopeful for today. I can be so fixated on the future that I miss the good that鈥檚 in my hands right now. I鈥檓 hopeful for the next 24 hours and what I can do with them.
It鈥檚 such a beautiful campus. Every day, I feel like I鈥檓 at a university! And I love the people on the inside and the one-on-one conversations I have with them. The work is so much easier when you know the people you鈥檙e in it with. Also, I'm biased, but I'm really excited for all of the coming to the Cultural Center!