Her Story
About Brenda
Brenda Netto is a pre-medical student at Rutgers University–New Brunswick pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a minor in Biological Sciences with plans to attend medical school and specialize in psychiatry. Passionate about child development, behavioral health, and neuroscience, she has dedicated herself to gaining meaningful clinical and leadership experience early in her academic journey. Brenda is recognized for her compassionate approach, strong interpersonal skills, and commitment to helping children build confidence, independence, and essential life skills. For the past three years, Brenda has worked extensively in child development and youth-focused programs through aquatics instruction, behavioral therapy, and both leadership and mentorship roles. She began her career teaching swim lessons to children and teenagers ranging from ages 3 to 18, where she not only coached swimming techniques and water safety but also provided motivational support and mentorship for students participating in swim clubs and competitions. At just 17 years old, she earned a promotion to Head Lifeguard for the City of Newark at one of their pools, an accomplishment that reflected her leadership abilities, professionalism, and dedication. In that role, she managed daily pool operations serving more than 300 patrons, supervised teams of older coworkers, enforced safety procedures, and led swim instruction programs for children, including students with autism and special needs. Brenda currently works part-time as a swim instructor at Insta Swim, and full time as a Behavioral Health Technician at Circle Care Services, where she supports children with autism and other behavioral disorders through Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy. At her main job, after completing an intensive 40-hour certification course, she began working directly with clients at Circle Care to help them improve communication, social interaction, emotional regulation, and daily living skills. Her work includes analyzing behavioral patterns, setting individualized developmental goals, and helping children build independence through tasks such as advocating for their needs, sharing with peers, and communicating effectively with family members. Alongside her clinical work, Brenda remains actively involved in student organizations and cultural programs at Rutgers, including the Pre-med/Pre-dent society, Odasis, Rutgers TEACH, Rutgers Blood Initiative, BRASA, RU Salsa, and RU Bachata. She also involves herself with programs outside of academics such as volunteering monthly at Red Cross, RWJ Hospitals with their Aquatics Therapy program, and NJ Reading Partners. With aspirations of becoming a psychiatrist, she views her hands-on experience in behavioral healthcare as a vital foundation for her future medical career and lifelong commitment to supporting children and families.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Brenda
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to God, my parents, and my friends. It's easy to struggle with confidence and feel like you aren't capable nor deserve what you have. That's one of my biggest struggles. Yet my parents and friends constantly remind me of all that I have done and that God has put me here with a purpose to thrive and succeed at the highest level. Every time I struggle, I think of the people I love and those who support me and have sacrificed so much for me. I owe it to them to be the best I can be and never give up.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I ever received came from the head manager of all the pools in my city was really great friends with me and always had my back. He's the one who told me, don't let anybody ever disrespect you, regardless of age, gender, race, or any reason, because you earned it. I feel like that was the only reason that I pushed forward with that position as head lifeguard, because I just wanted to be a lifeguard and felt like I didn't deserve more. I really wasn't interested in that position until he motivated me to do it. If I let anybody push me around, I definitely wouldn't have been head lifeguard nor would have I achieved anything I have right now.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
The work environment is definitely what you make of it. With my experiences, based on gender, age, or your experience, you can be less respected than others. You can experience confrontational situations and encounter hard stuff with coworkers and the people you are attending to. So just know that you got that certification, and you got yourself there, and you should never let anybody disregard all your accomplishments and undervalue you. I love the saying " You can't complain about a lot on your plate when the goal was to eat." You got what you asked for, so have fun, enjoy what you do, and make every day the most of it.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest opportunity in my job right now with ABA therapy is the clinical experience. Since I'm in psychology, obviously I want to pursue med school and go into psychiatry. So it gives me more of a background working with children and developmental issues, which is what Im inclining to do in the future. The biggest challenge is getting used to the kids. Obviously, I worked with kids before, and I also have siblings who struggle with neurological problems, but it was never at this level. I'm working with other people's kids, and I'm responsible for them, and their treatment and their behavior progression is literally in my hands.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Respect is most important to me, and having a fun time. I think a lot of the coworkers that I work with and so many other people in life be strict just forget that they're the ones who wanted that job, you know? Be lively, walk into work with that personality you radiate and make someone else's day. Ever since I was young, I have seen my dad be a goofball and take nothing seriously, at work, when greeting people, in scary situations. He lightens up the room. That earns a different level of respect, an endearing one thats admired, and my goal is to achieve that.
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