“Dancing is my passion and inspiration,” says Brittnie Marcell, “it
puts all of life’s challenges on pause.” Brittnie has stayed strong
through many family struggles — including the loss of the father she deeply
loved — being supported by her mother who
began raising her own siblings at the age of 13.
SEI’s big dance studio represents freedom for Brittnie — she was there when it first opened and remembers all the times she felt the weight roll off her slender shoulders as she performed. As a member of the Urban Arts Youth Dance Company and an award-winning dancer in Jefferson High School’s prestigious dance program, Brittnie routinely receives praise for her grace and skill.
SEI quickly recognized Brittnie’s many talents. At age 11 she was asked to deliver a speech at the 2003 dinner honoring SEI CEO Tony Hopson as a Portland ‘First Citizen’. Brittnie recalls it was the first time she thought deeply about the amazing people who influence her daily at SEI, and she wanted them to hear what SEI meant to her, “I wanted them to know that every time I take that long bus ride from St. John’s to SEI’s front door, I feel like I’m going to a family reunion.”
“I had the opportunity to go
to Catlin Gabel and I turned it down without any regret because I wouldn’t
have been able to have the same SEI experience. SEI is the extra support that
every child needs to be successful.”
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