Leader in Me Spotlight: Brittany Ward

I’ve known since I was a small child that, when I grew up, I wanted to work with children. It has always been my passion, even as a child myself. My entire life up until my senior year of high school, I thought I knew what I wanted to do with my life. I was on my way to becoming an adult, and I realized that I really did not want to do what I had been planning on doing my whole life. I felt lost, and I didn’t know what to do.

I was working for Westside Union School District as a playground supervisor at 20 years old, feeling out of place, like I didn’t belong. I was on the kindergarten playground, being lectured by other staff if I didn’t write enough students up at recess or make them sit on the bench. I was the “detention lady,” and I had the same kids with me almost every day for simple offenses: not turning in homework, running on the playground, talking in class. I started to really dislike my job, and after a year and a half I knew I needed something else.

My nephew was attending SCVi, and my sister called me one day to tell me that she heard they were opening a school in Lancaster. All I knew about SCVi was that the children had more freedom during the school day, and that my nephew was happy at his new school. I had been to SCVi to pick him up a few times, and every time I was amazed at how the building looked nothing like a school. The kids seemed happy, the staff seemed loving, and I knew that I had to look into the new school opening.

After being interviewed by Lynn Boop, I felt something I hadn’t felt before — a sense of belonging. I told her that I was the detention lady, and she looked at me and said, “Oh, we don’t have detention here…”

I responded, “Thank goodness!”

When I got the call two days later that they had a position for me, I jumped on it. I would be making less money per hour than I was at Westside, but I knew that I would be happier. I quit my job as a playground supervisor, and I started with iLEAD Lancaster two days before school opened. I volunteered for two hours on the Sunday before school started to call all of our families (all 125 learners at the time) and remind them that school was starting on Tuesday. I instantly felt at home.

It has been more than five years since I made the leap to join iLEAD. It has not always been easy, but nothing worth doing ever is. I have been part of the “First Year” twice, once with iLEAD Lancaster and once with iLEAD Antelope Valley. I love my job, I love my work family, and I love the children that I am blessed to work with day in and day out. I truly believe that iLEAD Schools’ vision is the future of education, and I am so thankful that I get to be part of the process. I have found my home.