“My education has taken me beyond what I could have ever imagined. I knew I had goals and dreams but I didn’t expect to be able to achieve them so quickly and that was all due to my education and what doors it opened for me,” said Briona Burgos ’19. After graduating from Hiram, Burgos attended Case Western Reserve University and received her Master of Science degree in social administration and now works for a high school in Columbus, OH

At Hiram, Burgos was involved in anything she could make time for. As a student-athlete, she participated in the women’s basketball team for three years, worked in the athletics office, served as an orientation leader, and was a part of the education club. “The connections that I built, and the opportunity to grow at Hiram, really gave me the leverage to be able to apply and be accepted to Case Western and pursue my degree there,” said Burgos. “Hiram helped me gain so much experience and the ability to use that experience!”

A day in Burgos’ life looks different every day. If she is expected at work, she is up before the sun, spends time with her dog, and prepares for her day. “As a school social worker, I mainly focus on seeing individual students and working on improving mental health, emotional regulation, or coping strategies. I also spend some days running small groups, such as yoga, or in meetings with other professionals in the district,” said Burgos. After school, she enjoys thrifting, napping, or cooking! Normally, she ends her workday by reading or watching something on Netflix. Outside of work, she enjoys reading, taking walks and long hikes, playing with her dog, Saint, and her cat, Salem, and spending time with her partner—whom she also met at Hiram!

Burgos encourages current students to take advantage of every possibility they can while at Hiram. She said, “college is what you make it to be and time really does fly by quicker than you think. Before you know it, you’ll be a senior ready to walk across the stage, so make sure you have a great four years to look back on!”