READ MY INTERVIEW with Gigi Edwards Bryant in 25 HOTTEST!
I could have talked to Gigi all day. I was impressed with her immediately She is a wonderful woman who has never stopped striving for herself, or foster youth, and I am so lucky the magazine asked me to interview her.
Here is an excerpt from the article, and for the rest, grab a copy of 25 hottest!
EXCERPT
Gigi Edwards Bryant is a fifth generation Austinite and seventh generation Texan. She knows Texas well. Texas’ foster care system is where she spent her childhood, from age six to age eighteen, which is the age children are typically aged-out of the system. This experience may seem unique for a professional and successful woman like herself, but it is all too common for too many children in the United States. This difficult and live-altering experience is where Bryant found her purpose in life. Her mission is to keep a crystal-clear lens on our most vulnerable citizens who cannot take care of themselves or use their voices to cry out for their care or safety when it matters the most. This is what lead Bryan to become the strong advocate she is to this day.
If Bryant were going to be a typical “former foster child” of the foster care system she would not have succeeded on the designed path. That she is so successful is a testament to her own perseverance and her strong faith in God, a gift from her great grandmother that the system could diminish within her. Bryant became a successful college graduate twice, is a beloved wife and mother, the architect of the Write to Me foundation, and a steadfast volunteer to help reform the foster care system in Texas. Most importantly, she remains a tireless voice for children who are too young, too afraid, and too disenchanted to speak until years after aging out. She commits her time, talents, and resources to making life better for children, their families, and their communities. Her projects are direct services, when needed, and without long waits.
Today Bryant is a public speaker, community volunteer, and business owner. She uses her experience to provide passion, vision, and clarity, to what our children in the system require. She stresses the importance of hope, education, community and family, and she works with singular devotion to have her message heard by those in government who have the power to make changes. She believes that through faith, hope, and forgiveness, we can learn to be encouraging, loving and caring care when it feels like extraordinary events and experiences have captured our last breath.
She has served over fifteen years as a Governor appointee to significant boards and commissions in Texas, including Chairing the Texas Department of Child Protective Services, which she considers full circle in a circle that looks and feels the same. She also Chaired the Texas School Safety Center.
Part of what has allowed Bryant to be such a valiant crusader for children’s rights has been her own success. In 1993, after a 20-year career in information systems within the State of Texas, Bryant started GMSA Management Services, an Austin based business development consulting firm. The firm, recognized as one of Texas’ outstanding small businesses, focuses on community outreach/involvement, employee engagement, and business development. In addition to her firm, Bryant is currently elected to the Austin Community College District Board of Trustees, in her second term. In 2004 she began the Write To Me Foundation, which provides rite-to-passage experiences to youth who have lived in, and through, the foster care system. The Foundation’s signature PROMRack, provides prom and graduation assistance. This year the PROMRack event will take place on April 23, 2023 at Juan Navarro Ealy College High School from 10 am to 4:30pm (CST). Donations are always welcome (www. writetome.org). Other services include assistance paying bills and addressing immediate needs that could be the difference between existing and giving up. The greater purpose Bryant wants to achieve through her service to others is to be a living example of the power in giving back, even if it means using her history of painful experiences to pave the way.
Find out more about Gigi by clicking the photo below:
