Today we’d like to introduce you to Alecia Brewster.
Hi Alecia, 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?
My career started as a 4th grade teacher in Greenville and later in Charleston, SC. I was inspired by my teachers and by family members who were educators. I taught in high poverty schools with students who were full of potential, but I quickly saw the stark difference in the school experiences of students in poverty compared to students in wealthier communities. Our students needed additional supports and access to opportunities.
So I invited my former college classmates to mentor my students, and I helped my students explore the community and careers they were interested in. I wasn’t able to close the outcome disparities that exist in education, but I taught my students to believe in themselves and to seek out opportunities.
Today, I serve as the Program Director for Village Engage, a nonprofit enterprise working to advance a justice-driven Greenville where residents learn and work together to eliminate systems of oppression and to advance peace and racial equity. I work each day to educate myself and others about the factors contributing to inequality and to advocate for communities where everyone can thrive.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
My road has been smooth in many ways because I have a village of support. At the same time, there have been significant hurdles. One of the greatest challenges is that inequality is the result of social structures that have been built and reinforced over multiple generations. Because some people have benefited from these systems for a long time, there is major resistance to change.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I’m a purpose-driven nonprofit leader and entrepreneur, and I currently serve as the Program Director of Village Engage. I’m also on several nonprofit boards and foundations, and I co-chair the Greenville Mentoring Collaborative, which focuses on strengthening and expanding access to youth mentoring across Greenville and throughout South Carolina. In addition, I founded a community for single adults that creates space to cultivate healthy, meaningful romantic relationships.
Everything I do is rooted in a desire to help create a better future for the generations coming behind us. What I’m most proud of is the impact—hearing from students, mentees, and community members who’ve shared that my work helped them build confidence, access resources, and move past barriers that felt insurmountable. My life mission and purpose are what set me apart from others.
Do you any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
On my 7th birthday, my mom, stepdad, brother and cousins celebrated me with chocolate birthday cake, a new bike and new games. When they said we were going to the pizza and arcade restaurant, I thought the day couldn’t get any better. Well I was shocked and delighted, to see classmates and extended family all waiting to celebrate with me at the restaurant. That’s my favorite childhood memory, hands down.
