Ms. Gabrielle "Gabby" Dirden, director of communications, public affairs and support services at Hobby Area Management District, is a graduate of The Varnett Public School and talked to students about how courses in reading and vocabulary helped launch her career path.
Ms. Dirden was one of several speakers to appear at The Varnett School Southwest for Career Week, organized by Ms. Deloris Jackson, media and resources coordinator at the campus.
Ms. Dirden said the courses she took at Varnett and her work under the tutelage of Ms. Jackson "helped me formulate my speech" and were key factors in preparing her for her profession.
Ms. Dirden also remembers taking a field trip to Historically Black Colleges and Universities while at Varnett in the late 1990s. The trip inspired her to pursue her education at Spelman College, a historically black liberal arts college for women in Atlanta.
Listen to a portion of her speech to Varnett students here.