Gary Briggs 2006

Gary Briggs 2006 was part of the “Katrina Class” which was displaced for part of their senior year of high school. Gary graduated from Country Day and began college at Texas Christian University where he majored in political science with a minor in sociology. Katrina and its effect on New Orleans left an indelible mark on Gary, and he utilized the communication skills he had learned at Country Day and TCU to give voice to students who otherwise would not speak out against unfairness. He was given the Senior Legacy Award at TCU, and he began to think about different ways to rejoin the New Orleans community. He felt compelled to be part of the education movement unfolding in New Orleans, so he applied to Teach For America. In his application, he described how he ultimately wanted every student in New Orleans to receive a Country Day-like education, “because children can only rise to the occasion when they have the tools to do so.” He was accepted into the program in November 2010, then learned that he had been accepted into a White House Internship Program for the spring of 2011. He worked in the White House for five months in the scheduling and advancement department for President Obama. After his internship, Gary returned to New Orleans as a Teach for America teacher at Harriet Tubman Charter School in Algiers. After teaching there for 4 years, he accepted a job as Lead Navigator for EdNavigator, a non-profit that helps families ensure their children get the best education available to them. EdNavigator’s goal is to empower every family with access to high quality, on-demand support along the path to a great education, from pre-K to college.