Interestingly, Brandy shares three key things with the Harbison winner: their last name, a strong interest in art, especially pottery, and the possibility of a career in special education. After that, their interests and backgrounds are quite different.

Special education hits home for Brandy. She grew up with 11 siblings, both biological and adopted. Three of her adopted siblings have been diagnosed with varying degrees of fetal alcohol syndrome. Seeing the challenges they have and will continue to face is what drives her to seek her degree in order to help them and others like them achieve their own educational goals. As one reference said, “She is a source of inspiration to her younger siblings, and to anyone that she encounters.”

Brandy has worked with other children in a variety of way. Two years ago she taught ceramics to 500 campers, ages 7-15, for seven weeks in Pennsylvania. She has volunteered as a side walker assisting young children with disabilities to learn basic horsemanship skills at the UNH Therapeutic Riding program. Her UNH cycling team sponsors frequent Bike Rodeos at elementary schools to teach bicycle safety and to encourage the students always to wear a helmet.

Brandy’s other passion is skiing. She was the team captain and the emotional leader of her high school cross country team. That spirit carried on into college, where she also served as captain of the varsity women’s ski team.

A Summa Cum Laude graduate, she was a UNH Scholar Athlete for four years and an NCAA Academic All American. But more important than her own academic career, she says, “I have never found anything that fills me with such inner joy and happiness as helping a child learn.” She is looking forward to her internship this coming year.

Her ultimate goal is to return to the Fairbanks School System to establish and develop a lifelong love of learning for all students, disabled or not. She envisions a school system where disabilities are not regarded as detriments but as part of every learner’s path to success, a place where each learner’s needs are considered and met on an individual level. She concluded, “I know that someday fully inclusive schools and communities will no longer be a pipe dream. I want to be a part of making the dream become reality.”

Brandy was nominated by Dr. Carole Grove of Mary Baldwin College in Staunton, Virginia.