Today we’d like to introduce you to Anne Bryant.
Hi Anne, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start, maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers.
I did not think that I was going to live long enough to complete high school, let alone graduate with a master’s degree in Elementary Education and a desire to teach. While working on my degree at Texas Tech University, I had the most incredible opportunity to study abroad in Brisbane, Australia. It was an accelerated course that allowed me to collaborate with professionals, lower school students, and those at university also studying to become a teacher.
Once I completed the course, my dad met me in Australia. We traveled through Brisbane, Cairns, and Sydney before moving on to New Zealand. On the plane, my dad told me about the history of bungee jumping and how it originated in New Zealand. Never in my life did I have the desire to go bungee jumping. Not until my dad jokingly implied that I “would never do something like that.” The next thing you know, my dad and I are riding a gondola to the top of a mountain in Queenstown so I could go bungee jumping.
I was terrified, and there were only two things that gave me the courage to follow through. First, even in jest, saying that I “can’t do” something is a dare. That is not my greatest trait. However, it is a demonstration of grit. The second thing that gave me courage is recognizing that I needed to take a running start before jumping. That way, I was not committing to jumping, which was horrifying. But I was committing to running. All I had to do was make a commitment to run until I could not run anymore and trust that the rest would fall into place.
Thankfully, the bungee cord did its job, and I promised my dad that I would never scare him like that again. I totally meant that at the time.
But I completed my master’s degree during the recession. Teachers with years of experience were being laid off, and after a year of working as I temp, I began a brief career at a substance abuse prevention and treatment nonprofit facility in West Texas. But I was determined to teach and travel. So, I did my research, and I went to a job fair for international schools in South and Central America. There, I met incredible educators, and I was offered a position to teach second grade at Colegio Bureche in Santa Marta, Colombia. Knowing that I did not speak Spanish and the fact that I did not know anyone in South America made my friends and family a little uneasy with my choice to move to Colombia. Thankfully, they supported me anyway. They supported me even more when I moved back to Texas two years later and began teaching elementary school in North Texas.
The differences between teaching in Colombia and teaching in Texas are plentiful, but the most striking to me were the educational policies conflicting with student needs in the Texas public school system. By my third year, I was so burnt out that I needed to make a professional change. I loved teaching. I loved my colleagues. I loved my students. But when a teaching opportunity arose at a nationally ranked pediatric hospital, I learned that I could teach and support students and families in a different capacity. I could be their advocate.
To be a positive and effective advocate, I needed to not only understand medical and psychiatric diagnoses but how they affected a student’s ability to learn. I also needed an in-depth understanding of educational laws and policies so students could continue their education while receiving medical treatment. I spent the next six years completing research, developing individualized curriculum for students in a hospital setting, and applying Section 504 and IEP accommodations to support those students once they returned to school.
I founded Archimedes Educational Services because I experienced multiple challenges in an educational system that did not know how to support a student with anxiety. My mother was and still is one of my biggest advocates. Both of my parents worked full-time, and it was not easy for them to take time off work to ensure that I received the necessary support and resources to be healthy and achieve academic success. My parents did not have the benefit of an Educational Advocate for guidance and support. My mother was successful in advocating for my needs, but it was a lonely and scary process.
Once I started high school, my anxiety and depression skyrocketed. It felt as though everyone else received a covert manual on how to be happy in life except me. I attempted to manage my mental health by self-medicating. The sense of feeling broken and unlovable decreased as I continued to self-medicate. It felt like I finally found that manual to be happy, and I had no concept of the devastation my actions were having on my family, myself, and my education.
Thankfully, my family came together and advocated for me still. I remain honored and privileged to be a graduate of Serenity High in McKinney ISD. Serenity High is the only high school in North Texas dedicated to supporting students in their sobriety and their education. As a graduate from an alternative high school, such as Serenity High, I experienced the importance of advocacy and support for students with medical and psychiatric diagnoses. I strongly believe that empowering students and families to advocate for themselves, increasing the accessibility of educational and community resources, and collaborating with other professionals are vital to a positive and holistic educational environment.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Nothing in life is always a smooth road. I was building Archimedes Educational Services while working teaching full time at a private school, moving, and both personal and family medical issues and losses – anything in and of itself is a challenge. But my husband, family, and friends never lose faith in me. That gives me the courage to trudge through the grit and have faith in myself.
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about Archimedes Education Services LLC?
We provide educational advocacy and consulting services for families and students with disabilities. Some services include initiating Special Education and Section 504 proceedings, making recommendations, attending meetings, developing learning aides and coping skills. We provide parent workshops and professional learning to help walk others through the complex process of supporting students with disabilities in school. Each student and situation is different, so our approach is individualized. I am proud of Archimedes Educational Services because it is built with the heart of a servant that has experienced many of the same obstacles that our families have. Families recognize our sincerity and empathy. Professionals understand our goal to collaborate and educate so our students with disabilities feel supported and can thrive. Our slogan, we advocate for you – We empower you – We serve you, is true. Our values are built on doing what is best for our students, families, educators, and colleagues.
There aren’t many people who have had the privilege to work at an international school in a third-world country, public schools, private schools, and a hospital. That has allowed us to view challenges from many unique perspectives and a vast network of other professionals with whom we may collaborate. But professional experience isn’t everything. I truly believe that my personal experience as a student with anxiety, depression, and recovery from substance use is what helps families and students know that we understand what they are going through and can actually help. We help them see that there is a light at the end of the tunnel, and we’ll stand right next to them for as long as they need.
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
It is better to collaborate with other professionals instead of competing. Ask questions. Be willing to admit when you are wrong or need help.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.ArchimedesEducationalServices.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/archimedeseducationalservices
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100089572785191
