Today we’d like to introduce you to Brittany White.
Hi Brittany, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I am from Port Arthur, TX, and I was always very ambitious and had big dreams as a kid. However, I faced many circumstances that made me feel that I was not good enough for my goals. I was never in a gifted and talented program, and I was never in an honors course because of my grades. As a matter of fact, I remember a teacher telling my mother that I was sweet, and I kept the classroom clean. I never really heard my elementary or middle school teachers compliment my intellectual abilities. Something my parents instilled in me growing up was to never give up. They also made sure that I prioritized my schoolwork no matter what. That’s what I kept doing no matter the outcome. Things started to improve for me academically when I got to the 7th grade. My grades started to increase because I had teachers who delivered lessons in a way that I understood. Once I started to grow and improve, I knew my goal of going to college was possible. In high school, I attended a career and technology school in the mornings, and school during the day. My last 2 years of high school consisted of going to school half a day and working as an assistant for the superintendent of the Port Arthur Independent School District in the afternoon. During that time, my goal was to go to college and get a 2-year degree to become a secretary because those were the skills I learned in high school. While I was attending Lamar Institute of Technology, I had financial struggles that made me want to drop out. However, my supervisor at the time encouraged me to finish my degree. At the latter part of my program, I started to feel like there was more. I was attending a 2-year college, but I also had friends who attended Lamar University. I spent a lot of time with them, and we did a great deal of ministry together. As I was exposed to the goals that they were pursuing, it pushed me to consider how I could also go beyond the 2-year college I was attending. After much prayer and conversations with my pastor, I decided to go to the University of Houston for Hotel and Restaurant Management. During my time in the program, I found a deeper purpose. I was in a big city for the first time, and that exposed me to a lot of different people. My goal was to become a hotel owner as well as provide quality hospitality services to the homeless because I felt that they deserved to be treated with dignity and respect just like the wealthy customers we were learning to serve. Doing mission work overseas during the summertime also gave me more perspective about why that is so important. However, I quickly discovered that hospitality was something I’d rather do from a ministry and missions’ standpoint because the industry can be very intense. After graduation, I worked for a temp agency doing secretary work, then I got an opportunity to be an academic advisor in the engineering department at the University of Houston. I worked there as a student worker, and they created a full-time position so that I could return. As an advisor, I met with engineering master’s and Ph.D. students. I also volunteered at Generation One after work. I really enjoyed tutoring students and helping them with their reading. I became even more passionate when I realized the economic statistics that were attached to students being able to listen, speak, read, and write. I looked forward to helping those students because I knew that their growth meant a brighter future full of possibilities. After a few years, my department had layoffs because of a lack of funding. During that time, I decided to pursue education as a career because I loved it, and I was already doing it for free. I remembered a quote that someone said, “If you choose a career that you would do for free, you will never work a day in your life.” From there, I got my alternative certification and started pursuing my master’s degree while working as an aid in Houston ISD. As an aid, they allowed me to work with students in small groups. Their reading levels increased drastically in a short amount of time. Their growth meant a lot to me because I was giving them a sense of achievement that I didn’t feel until much later in life. After one year of being an aid, I was hired as a 4th grade teacher. I spent the first 2 years getting my dual master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction as well as Higher Education from Dallas Baptist University. I felt that it was important to be able to connect the 2 teaching styles to prepare students for the future from a young age. After I graduated with my dual master’s degree, I continued to teach for another 3 years. As a 4th grade teacher, I had questions about why my students were reading fluently, but they were not comprehending text. I also remembered an engineering professor at the University of Houston who would use his research to partner with oil and gas companies to solve problems and make advancements in the industry. I couldn’t help but think that the education field was behind because historically our research has not gotten to our classrooms effectively. This led me to do my own research and present at a variety of conferences. I even joined a group called Black Women Ph.D.’s because I wanted to be surrounded by women of color who were pursuing where I wanted to be. From there, I applied for the Reading and Literacy Ph.D. program at Texas A&M University. I chose Texas A&M because they were one of the few universities that was applying their research to schools and making a real difference. During my last year in Houston ISD, I got accepted into the Reading and Literacy Ph.D. program at Texas A&M University. It was a significant achievement for me because I didn’t think that I would get in. I didn’t have the background nor credentials of the other applicants. However, this shift would change my life. I was exposed to what education looks like in different countries. I attended conferences that many teachers don’t get to attend. I engaged in the research and presented at a number of conferences. I even got to be a part of professional development at many schools. I still had my challenges in the program. I had to retake courses, study longer than most people, and navigate political tensions that would arise. However, I never gave up, and I didn’t take “no” for an answer. Prayer, family, community, resilience, and growth mindset led me through many mountains and valleys to become Dr. White. I was also surprised to learn that the last African American woman to graduate was my mentor in 2007. I was honored to be next in 2025. Representation is everything! Now, I am a high school teacher in Irving ISD and a professor at Dallas Baptist University. It is my honor to be an example to my students that you really can achieve anything that you desire. I never imagined being in the education field, yet God put the passion in my heart, and He saw and walked with me through every season. I am thankful to have a relationship with God through Jesus Christ because He was with me no matter what. Now, I teach students as well as other teachers. I have also been able to use these skills to help kids and teens understand the Bible as well as what it means to have a relationship with Jesus Christ. I’m not perfect. I didn’t make good grades all the time. I didn’t always make the best decisions. But I’m still here. I love exposing my students to what can be possible. They call me Dr. White; they are blown away that they are being taught by a professor in a regular English I class. God helped me to get this degree so that I could help them. I am honored to do that.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I had imposter syndrome, not knowing how to pursue goals while dealing with personal life circumstances, grief time and time again, not being known as the “smart” student early on in my academic career…….. Although I achieved the honor of being the first person in my immediate family to go to college, and the first ever Dr. White in my family, it purely happened because of the hand of God and the strength to keep going even when it didn’t turn out like I thought along the way. I faced struggles that anyone would face. Some struggles were circumstances beyond my control, and some struggles were because of my lack of good decision-making, but God is still using me. You don’t have to get it right 100% of the time. You just have to keep going.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am currently an English I and Reading ESL teacher in Irving ISD and professor at Dallas Baptist University. I have a dual master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction as well as Higher Education. I also have a Ph.D. in Reading and Literacy from Texas A&M University. My passion is to help students who are behind in writing, reading, and comprehension. I am known for effective practices in reading intervention and helping students who struggle in general education, whole class settings. I am most proud of the progress that my students make. When my 4th grade students grow to reading on or above grade-level, they are building a solid foundation for future success. When my high school students are able to catch up and develop a growth mindset, they are cultivating skills that will carry them through various seasons of life that they will face. It is an honor to do life with my students.
What’s next?
I am looking forward to starting an institute that will offer academic intervention services as well as leadership programs to students. I am also working on a children’s book series that I can’t wait to release soon!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: instagram.com/dr.brittanyrwhite/?hl=en
- Facebook: facebook.com/britt.white.5667
- Youtube: www.youtube.com/@stillwatersbiblestudy
