Education — and how it can transform children’s lives — is always on the mind of Soyara Verjee.
As chief talent and advancement officer of Collegiate Academies, she is right there every day of the school year and beyond helping guide students at four traditional high schools in New Orleans (Abramson Sci Academy, George Washington Carver, Livingston Collegiate, Walter L. Cohen High School) as well as Next Level NOLA, which enrolls about 60 students who can earn an associate’s degree and one post-secondary school, Opportunities Academy for students 18-21 with exceptionalities. In Baton Rouge, there is a traditional high school (Collegiate Baton Rouge).
Education and its life-changing powers have always been part of Soraya’s live.
“My parents and their siblings were the first in their families to attend college. My parents went on to attend graduate school as well, my father pursuing his terminal degree,” she says.
“Growing up, they spoke often about the impact of the K-12 school system they were able to attend that set them up for college. ‘An education is something no one can take away from you,’ they would often remark,” she adds.
Going to school for her was never a problem.
“I loved growing and learning and pushing myself. I loved the magic of the learning moments in my classrooms. To feel successful and seen by a teacher and to watch my peers experience that same joy and pride was an experience I deeply valued,” she says.
After starting her career in education, she saw how powerful a teacher’s influence and guidance could be.
“When we didn’t have a strong teacher in a classroom, the impact on our students, their joy and pride in their own learning and growth was deeply impacted. I found myself drawn to the idea of dedicating my time to finding and keeping the best teachers,” she says.
“I’ve since become a student of leadership, team culture and talent practices that strengthen schools ,” Soraya says. “Teachers play such a critical role in shaping who we are and helping us build the self-identity that allow us to contribute to our families and communities long term.”
Among her proudest accomplishments professionally “has to do with the excellent principals we’ve selected and retained at Collegiate Academies,” she says. “We choose leaders who exemplify our mission and values. They identify as teachers first. They lead by example and often teach classes themselves to model for the campus what the standard of excellence is for the classrooms we are building.”
“Secondly, these leaders focus on their own growth, the growth of their staff, but ultimately the growth of their students,” she says, noting at Collegiate many of the leaders have had a longevity not common in urban public school systems, guarding against the kind of destabilizing turnover that can harm “many public school systems in leadership seats.”
“This stability has allowed for building the culture in our schools that we hope builds enduring institutions,” she says. “Particularly for our city’s historically Black high schools, securing strong leadership helps protect the legacies built over generations in Black communities—legacies that have shaped our city on a global stage. I feel humbled to contribute to this work alongside an incredible team.”
Soraya has lived in New Orleans for the past 18 years. She has a 7-year-old daughter whom she shares with her husband, Jerel Bryant, also an educator and leader in the school system.
“In my estimation, there’s one aspect of New Orleans culture that truly stands out to me that I’ve not experienced anywhere,” she says. “Community. We welcome and support one another. You can make a friend anywhere in New Orleans. There’s a real sense that we are here for one another.”
True Confession
I was a huge college a cappella nerd and being in an all girls group of eight women my freshman year taught me so much about what it means to be a team.
Collegiate Academies: collegiateacademies.org
