Bria Davenport is our Middle School Coordinator Assistant. Known for her trend-setting fashion choices and strong organization systems, every day she greets students with a warm smile. She is always on the move: walking up and down the three flights of stairs, down the long halls coordinating programming, retrieving school supplies, tracking down late buses, and checking in with every student and teacher. It is her responsibility to plan the logistics for Middle School Program, such as field trips, Field Day, and special programming. The most recent activity she planned was on the Black Liberation Flag for Black History Month. Bria is the glue that holds all of the pieces of our programming together and bonds our students through her activities to build a united community.

Bria is a Durham native and grew up in a single-parent home. Growing up, she was surrounded by a village of African American community and family members who invested in her brilliance. She is the oldest of three children, and two of her siblings, Bailee and Bryce, were students in the Student U program. Bria saw first-hand the impact Student U had on her family. She said it gave her mother extra assistance and empowered her to advocate for her children in school.

Growing up, her mother encouraged her to be herself and be a good community member. Bria has always had a passion for fashion and expressing her personality through clothes. She attended her dream college for Art and Design to pursue fashion until she left because she didn’t feel her teachers were culturally responsive, and her peers didn’t share her experiences. She transferred to North Carolina A&T and graduated with a fashion degree in 2016.

Bria applied to teach at Student U’s Summer Academy shortly after graduation because it had been such a help to her family. She stayed beyond summer because the program coordinators saw something in her, and the students challenged her to stay. She had gained another community and support, so why not stick around. Coming into her current position, she has found her brilliance.

She has a relationship with each student and is committed to knowing them as individuals.

It is her goal to make sure students feel like they belong and find roles for them where they feel they are a part of the community. She shares the value of being a good community member that her mother instilled in her with our students. She encourages them to be themselves and create a different type of impact on your peers and community.

Thanks, Bria, for all you do for our Student U community!