Kamaria Brisseau
Brooklyn Community Foundation
Brooklyn, NY USA
"Courage doesn’t mean that you’re not fearful—it means that you’re fearful, but you’re doing it anyway."
Career Roadmap
Kamaria's work combines: Business, Numbers, and Problem Solving
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Advice for getting started
When you first choose a major, you won't know what all of the options are yet. That's okay. Know that choosing a major or industry doesn't mean you have to stick with it. You have to give it a chance before you can really understand if it's a good fit for you or not. My advice is to choose something—try it out. If it's not a good fit, switch to something else.
Here's the path I took:
High School
Bachelor's Degree
Business Administration and Management, General
Brooklyn College
Graduate Degree
Advanced Management and Organizational Behavior
Columbia
Life & Career Milestones
My path in life has been direct
1.
After high school, I got a full scholarship to St. John’s University.
2.
I spent a year at the university, but while my scholarship didn’t increase, tuition did—I ended up transferring to community college, which was more affordable and also allowed me to parent and work.
3.
While in college, I started working as an administrative assistant at a nonprofit organization—by the time I graduated, I was the organization’s senior budget analyst.
4.
One of my supervisors recommended I participate in an executive program to earn my master’s degree while continuing to work full-time.
5.
I earned my master’s degree in advanced management and organizational behavior from Columbia University and continued to develop my career in business and finance.
6.
I spent almost five years as the director of budget and administration for Columbia University, followed by a year as the director of finance and administration for the National Academy of Design.
7.
I currently work as a finance and administration manager for Brooklyn Community Foundation.
8.
I will soon be moving into the role of senior director of budget and administration for the City University of New York—the same community college where I started my journey!
Defining Moments
Experiences and challenges that shaped me
My parents emphasized the value of education but didn't know the ins and outs of the U.S. college system. We didn't know that my scholarship wouldn't increase as tuition did. I ended up transferring to community college, which was more affordable.
I was going to college and working full-time while raising two kids. It was challenging, but I realized that doing what's best for me will also be best for my children.