“Through it all, my faith has been my foundation and my motivation. It’s kept me focused on my calling to serve others, particularly those who feel forgotten or voiceless like I once felt in my younger years.”

Brittanni P. Sgriccia is a working mother pursuing her bachelor’s degree in health and human services from the University of Michigan-Dearborn. She earned recognition on the Dean’s List at both UM-Dearborn and Oakland Community College, the 2025 UM-Dearborn Student Leadership Award, and membership in Alpha Sigma Lambda.

Brittanni worked for over a decade in the healthcare field, providing administrative support for healthcare professionals. Brittanni is passionate about breaking stigmas surrounding mental health challenges in Black and brown communities. This passion grew from Brittanni’s experiences as a biracial woman who overcame bullying and adversity to become the woman she is today. As Brittanni writes, “Through it all, my faith has been my foundation and my motivation. It’s kept me focused on my calling to serve others, particularly those who feel forgotten or voiceless like I once felt in my younger years.”

Brittanni demonstrates exceptional leadership and advocacy skills in her coursework and community engagement. Her professors praise her ability to create safe learning environments and her commitment to social justice, particularly evident in her archival research on segregation and diversity in Dearborn. Brittanni, recipient of the 2023 Farmington Hills Community Service Award, actively supports her daughter’s high school Parent-Teacher-Student Association in promoting mental health and mentors fellow nontraditional students through UM-Dearborn’s Support, Opportunities, Advocacy, and Resources program.

Brittanni’s goal is to become a licensed social worker who advocates for marginalized populations. She envisions providing compassionate, trauma-informed care to women, youth, and families in crisis. She believes healing begins with being seen, heard, and supported, and she is committed to being that healing presence for others. Brittanni writes, “I’m the woman I am today because of the strong women in my life, like my mother, who made me feel strong enough to advocate for people who don’t feel brave enough to advocate for themselves.

CEW+ celebrates Brittanni’s strength and names her a Robert Bruce Dunlap Memorial Scholar.