Brittany Lopes

I definitely think a big piece of my success is having a strong support system and people who believed in me, and avenues to allow me to find success. I've been fortunate to have people pour into who I am and what I believed in, saying we can help you get to where you want to go. Another piece is just having the discipline and motivation to work a little harder when I didn't have to, or grind out a little bit, take some risks, to do some things that maybe were uncomfortable to me. My parents really worked hard to make sure that I had lots of educational opportunities, and I've been able to accomplish a lot relatively young because of that foundation and my willingness to push myself.

The best career advice I've received is to never chase money, because money will come, but to follow what you're interested in and what your heart thinks is important. When I started my leadership journey, I was told that instead of title chasing, I should really think about what I want to do and where I can have the greatest impact. Another great piece of advice I received was to leave a place better than you found it, and to ensure that you are lifting other people up behind you. People took a chance on me as a young leader, and I feel an immense responsibility to be able to do the same thing for people who are starting their career, or are interested in leadership, or want to try something that maybe they have not taken the leap for. Creating space for people is really important to me.

I would say to believe in yourself, even when you feel like you don't. Never stop learning, and put yourself in spaces where you can have a seat at the table, and then a voice at that table, and then maybe sit at the front of it. Remember that feedback is good, and it's usually never personal, even though it feels personal. Take the feedback and implement it if it's worth the time to do so, but be reminded that it's not about whether people like you or not. You're gonna be okay, you're a good person, and you know about it. Just keep trucking along, and try to take those risks. A lot of men do it, and we shouldn't second-guess ourselves.

I think the sky is the limit sometimes when you're in education, and there are so many different avenues that you could take as an educator. When you have been able to get to a place where you are a principal or head of school, I think it opens some doors for transferable skills outside of education, too. I am interested to see in the next 5 to 10 years what my journey would look like, just because I feel like being an educator prepares you for a lot of different types of positions and spaces that maybe you don't know until you're in them. As for challenges, I've typically been the youngest person in the room, and that has come with some people second-guessing my capabilities and my experience. I'm also a woman, so women in leadership have a unique experience of trying to be firm and fair in times, but not too vulnerable. There are so many contradicting statements about what it means to be a woman in leadership that I've had to navigate while also showing that I'm capable of sitting in a spot that maybe a lot of men might fit in. Being an executive leader and having to command a team of people who might be a lot older than me, or in different spots in their careers, has been something I've had to navigate, especially within the last 3 years. The pressure of a tuition-free school is also a lot to carry, but it's very worthwhile.

I would say integrity and service to others are most important to me. I also value looking out for other people and being selfless, but not forgetting about yourself. I don't want to act like I don't exist, but I do want to look out for the greater good and to make sure that whatever strengths I have, I can use for other people. It's about finding that balance between caring for others while still honoring your own needs and existence.