Full Circle: From KBEP Student to Educator by Juliana Pereira

I was freshly fifteen when I first took the Katie Brown Educational Program. I remember not knowing what to expect – just happy I didn’t have to sit through my health class lectures for a whole week. In hindsight, that first Monday of the program was the first shift in the way I saw the world. Learning about Katie’s story, a girl so close to home, experiencing such a tragedy was jarring. But my educator made it clear that the point wasn’t to fearmonger; rather, it was to teach us how we can spot the warning signs of violence early on and keep ourselves and others safe.

Since then, I’ve used lessons from the program more times than I can count in my personal life. I have developed such a passion for enlightening others to spot abuse and for speaking up to stop the violence that seems to have become so interwoven in today’s society and culture. So, of course, when I saw that the program was hiring, it seemed like an obvious decision that I would apply. I look forward to being able to educate students and adults alike as I grow with the program.

Even reviewing the program now, I’m reminded of why I started on this path to begin with. The cycle of violence, the warning signs, and so many other aspects of abuse that we know of should be shared! The value of the information this program and other resources offer is immeasurable. Preventative education is absolutely beneficial, and ending up where I have after going through the Katie Brown Educational Program myself, I say so with absolute confidence.