We had the good fortune of connecting with Ariael Brooks-Porter and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ariael, how do you think about risk?
Risk is funny. There’s a mantra I say in my head about risks, “Growth and comfort can’t coexist.” The truth is, our best selves are often on the opposite side of the risks we’re afraid to take. We gotta get over that hump. We have to take those steps to actually sit in those fantasies we dream about for ourselves – we deserve that. I just read a book, Who Moved My Cheese, and it was absolutely life changing because the thing about risk is the ability to stop and ask yourself – What would I do if I wasn’t afraid? and then doing the sh*t you’re afraid of anyway lol

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I work in Special Education. Ya’ know – I am so grateful I landed here. I started college knowing I wanted to work for kids. I say ‘work for’ intentionally because kids deserve people who care about their entire being, their ability to grow, and become upstanding citizens. So I knew I wanted to work for kids, just didn’t know how. I landed in special education as I continued to delve deeper into my teaching career and I absolutely love it. I care deeply about continuing to learn about how to support people with disabilities and advocate for their abilities to have high-qualities of life. It isn’t easy, special education is hard work. It’s a lot of learning, unlearning and patience – but I wouldn’t trade it. I am a student of this work, I know that the learning in this space is never ending and I’m eager to aquire all I can. We talk a lot about equity and freedom from oppression but then Special Education and discussing people with disabilities is often taboo. In the words of Fannie Lou, nobody’s free untill everybody’s free. We have to debunk the myths and stereotypes about special education so we can lean in and do right by our kids. One thing I want the world to know is that despite a disability, or disability category – everyone deserves access to high quality learning and to live a fulfilling life.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Oh period. My bestie is coming to DC for a weekend in the summer and we are visiting one of the Museums first, then we’re going to Bens Next Door for lunch because I love it there. Since I was a child, we’d always visit Bens so we have to keep that in the rotation.

We’d stop at Prima for the night, a lounge in the city with great vibes, amazing crab fries and wings honestly – 10/10 definitely recommend. There is always something cool happening there: open mics, comedy shows, etc. I love it there.

We’d also visit Maketto on H street for some Vegetable Gyoza and Spring rolls and then before leaving, stop upstairs at Cool Kids Vinyl to grab a new record. As we stroll down H, we’d then stop at Insomnia Cookies for a Cookie Pack.

For Sunday Brunch, we’d visit the Wharf – probably go to La Vie’  for brunch and then hit up a rooftop for a day party 🙂.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My Grandma, she really is my best friend and mentor. She’s taught me so much about life and every time we’re together, before we part, she gives a little life lesson. One thing I hold dear to my heart is the lesson to always plan ahead. I am a planner because of her. She always talks about how, as a child, my twin and I would wake up and say, ‘what are we going to do today, Gram?’ and then we’d write a to do list lol. I still swear by my to-do list today *inserts TO THIS DAY meme lol.* My grandma always holds me accountable and never fails to be my shoulder to lean on and my biggest supporter. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve been able to truly collaborate with and learn from her. She is  a powerhouse in her own right – I’m so grateful God found me fit to have her blood.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ari.4short?igsh=MmM3cW1uYnJ6ZXc2&utm_source=qr

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ab-p?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app

Other: TEDx Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m53WGYaLwUg&pp=ygUUYXJpYWVsIGJyb29rcy1wb3J0ZXI%3D

Image Credits
Ariael Brooks-Porter

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