Brittany Barnett

age: 32 | Director of TRIO Student Support Services Texas A&M University-Texarkana**

As the Director of TRIO Student Support Services at TAMUT, Brittany Barnett oversees all operations of the federal program and provides leadership to staff and participants.  She loves helping students achieve academic and personal success.  “I absolutely love working with TRIO!  Coming from a low-income background, I am able to relate to our special population of students who are low-income, first-generation, and have documented disabilities,” she explains.  “Being able to provide essential resources for  students throughout their undergraduate journey and seeing their dreams come true of accomplishing a college degree is all the satisfaction I need to know that I am in the right place at the right time.”

Being selected as Mrs. Arkansas Plus America 2020-2021 was a highlight for Brittany.  She looks forward to representing Arkansas in the national Miss Plus America Pageant which will be held during March 2021 in Louisville, Kentucky.   

As a proud member of the Kappa Xi Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated, Brittany and her sorority sisters provide “service to all mankind” through the high school mentoring program, assisting students with the college admission process and financial education, supporting Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), financial and economic literacy, voter registration, women’s healthcare and wellness initiatives, arts and cultural enrichment activities, and global impact (donating shoes, eyeglasses, masks, and cleaning supplies). “Through my platform as Mrs. Arkansas Plus America 2020-2021, ‘Financial Literacy For the Culture,’ I provide financial resources and education to high school and college students to assist them through their undergraduate financial journey,” Brittany affirms.  

Brittany enjoys spending time with her husband, Freddie, and looks forward to fun times in their future.  In 10 years, she sees herself as an Executive Director of Federal TRIO Programs, owner of a dance studio, state director of Arkansas for the Miss Plus America Pageant, supporting her family to the best of her ability, and enjoying the wonderful life that God has given her.

Best piece of advice:

“Always keep God first, and everything else will be added to your life.” – Vivian Carr, Brittany’s mother

Name something about you that very few people know:

“I am a 13-year trained dancer in tap, ballet, clogging, river dance, jazz, hip-hop, and twirling from Kathy’s Dance Arts Studio in Magnolia, Arkansas. During my undergraduate studies at Southern Arkansas University, I was on the Southern Strutters Dance Team and the cheerleading squad.”