By the time Brandian Bufford made it to high school, she was experiencing life in ways she had never imagined. As a teen mom, she felt discounted and dismissed. When sharing with a counselor that she wished to be a doctor, Brandian was encouraged instead to consider a career that would not require as much knowledge. For a long time, Brandian believed that, for her, opportunities would be limited if not impossible. Then one evening, she had a conversation with an educator that changed her life forever. She was encouraged to apply to colleges, for grants, and for financial aid to major in whatever she wanted to be.
“That was the first time I believed that I did not have to be defined by my circumstances. It was in that moment that I wanted to become the one conversation that changed a life for as many students as I could touch.”
For Brandian, being an educator is more than a vision or mission statement; it is personal. She sees herself in the students she chooses to serve, and it is her hope that they can see themselves in her to choose their own paths post high school.
Prior to joining the Community Co-Design Track of the BES Fellowship, Brandian was the principal at Laurel High School, where she served students in grades 9-12. Previously she served as the dean of instruction at a high school in the Houston Independent School District. Prior to this, Brandian served as reading specialist, 9th grade administrator, and department chair. Brandian received her bachelor’s and master’s in Elementary Education from William Carey University and holds a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Prairie View A&M University.
