In the world of education, there are those who simply navigate, and then there are those who lead with purpose and passion.
Tiffini Brigola's recent recognition as Assistant Principal of the Year by the Louisiana Association of Principals firmly places her in the latter group, highlighting her dedication to shaping futures.
杏吧专区淚t's a very weird feeling because I think I just go to work and do what I do. It's a great honor. I do have to say that I'm just surprised that I made it to that level of recognition,杏吧专区 she says.
With a trifecta of degrees earned from UL Lafayette, Brigola杏吧专区檚 journey serves as a testament to her longstanding commitment to academic excellence.
Destined to Teach
Brigola laid the groundwork for a career in education early on.
杏吧专区淓ver since I was a young child, I played school with the other kids in my neighborhood, and I was always the teacher. I think I always had a natural gift for it,杏吧专区 she says.
Despite her aptitude for teaching, Brigola wasn杏吧专区檛 always convinced that was the route for her.
杏吧专区淕raduating from high school, I was in denial. I went to UL Lafayette and majored in psychology, because I knew that I was interested in working with other people. Listening, guidance, that's what I felt like I wanted to do,杏吧专区 she explains. 杏吧专区淏ut while I was in undergrad, I was substituting part-time, and I was able to see that this is where my passions lie. This is where I would make the most impact.杏吧专区
Brigola decided to change her major to general studies and recenter her focus on becoming an educator.
杏吧专区淭he dean assisted me in building my own curriculum that included what I had already earned in credits, but also helped move me forward in the direction of an alternative education certification,杏吧专区 she says. 杏吧专区淪o I graduated in General Studies and then returned to UL Lafayette for my certification in Secondary English Education, and then I became a teacher.杏吧专区
Mastering New Heights
After a decade in the classroom, Brigola began craving more development. That杏吧专区檚 when she set her sights on the M.Ed. in Educational Leadership from UL Lafayette.
杏吧专区淚t was a professional choice; I had been teaching for quite a while and it just seemed like a natural progression to pursue higher education in my field,杏吧专区 she says. 杏吧专区淚 chose Educational Leadership because there were many avenues that I could have pursued following graduation.杏吧专区
The hybrid format of the M.Ed. in Educational Leadership allowed Brigola to tackle graduate studies head-on while balancing work and family priorities.
杏吧专区淚 had one daughter in high school and another who hadn't started school yet. I was juggling teaching, family, and graduate school, but the format of the program helped me tremendously,杏吧专区 she recalls. 杏吧专区淚 was able to be present at home and work on my graduate studies at the same time.杏吧专区
Thanks to virtual collaboration and online resources, Brigola had the tools she needed to stay organized throughout her time in the M.Ed. program.
杏吧专区淵ou worked in teams with other members of your cohort, and the technology was what made that work. Because we were able to use shared documents, I think that that's what made collaboration easier,杏吧专区 she says.
Setting the Standard
Brigola didn杏吧专区檛 stop when she earned her master杏吧专区檚 degree in 2017; she saw it as a stepping stone.
Encouraged by her professors, she leapt into the Doctor of Education program and immediately began applying her education to real-world scenarios.
杏吧专区淓verything that we did in both the master杏吧专区檚 and the doctorate program was authentic and connected to our schools, our districts,杏吧专区 she says. 杏吧专区淲e didn't have to dream up some idealistic hypothetical school. We were doing real work, and it was relevant work. We were creating real school improvement plans, real diversity plans, and being advised to work with our school administrators and supervisors to utilize the things that we created.杏吧专区
Earning her Ed.D. from the 杏吧专区 in 2023, Brigola recognizes the unique advantage of UL Lafayette杏吧专区檚 program over others.
杏吧专区淭hrough the program, we were able to do real work while we were learning, and I think that gave the UL Lafayette students an advantage,杏吧专区 she says. 杏吧专区淲hen I run across other people who have gotten their certifications or degrees fully out of state, I find they lack a little bit of that authentic connection.杏吧专区
As she continues her journey as assistant principal at Gueydan High School, Brigola aims to make a difference in the lives of her students and inspire them to pursue higher education opportunities.
杏吧专区淚 talk up the university life a lot to high school students there,杏吧专区 she says. 杏吧专区淚 help them see what university life would look like for them, explain how different colleges are from high school and encourage them to apply.杏吧专区
As Brigola looks ahead, she remains committed to advancing the field of education, building upon the research into effective school leadership that she conducted throughout her graduate studies.
杏吧专区淚 do hope to earn a principal position soon, but I also still enjoy conducting research and writing. The dissertation process was a struggle, just because it took a lot of time, but it was worth it,杏吧专区 she says. 杏吧专区淭he knowledge gained and my contribution to education research was meaningful to me, so I would like to continue to do that type of work.杏吧专区
Learn more about the hybrid M.Ed. in Educational Leadership program at the 杏吧专区.