BreAnn Russell ’13 is a passionate maternal and child health advocate who is making a positive impact in the City of Toledo. She joined SUA as a freshman, coming from Winterfield Academy. While at SUA, Russell took several AP and Honors courses, but she made sure to balance her academics with extracurricular activities, including Afro-Club, Drama Club, and the musicals. Outside of school, she participated in the Toledo Excellence program and the Law and Leadership Institute, both sponsored by the University of Toledo. Russell was a praise dancer for her church and a member of the Positive Dance Force Christian School of Dance.

After graduating from SUA, Russell used scholarships she received from participating in the annual Debutante Cotillion and the Toledo Excellence Program to attend the University of Toledo. There, she was actively involved in the Black Student Union and eventually pledged a sorority. She received her bachelor’s degree in general studies, where she focused on coursework in counseling and chemical dependency. She later returned to college to study social work. Russell is now a Licensed Social Worker and holds a Master of Social Work degree.

Throughout her time in school, Russell worked as a breastfeeding assistant for the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) federal and state programs to ensure proper nutrition for poor mothers and their children. She was also a site coordinator for the Youth Opportunities Program through the YMCA/JCC of Greater Toledo. Currently, she is a therapist for two behavioral health care agencies. Her goal is to obtain her Licensed Independent Social Work certification and become an international board-certified lactation consultant. She also plans to continue learning ways to best help her clients through education, resource connections, and individual therapy sessions.

Russell is also a mom to a future Arrow, three-year-old Blake, and little brother Andre. She is the sister of Jayla Russell ’21 and aunt to Aniyah Townsend ’28.