Celebrating 20 Years of Service: Vennita Browning

Vennita Browning at Scholar, Family, and Alumni Event June 2025

For two decades, Vennita Browning has been the steady heartbeat of Peak Education—leading not just with dedication, but with compassion, clarity, and a commitment that reaches far beyond the job. Her influence has shaped the lives of hundreds of scholars and families. And in every interaction, she brings energy, joy, and fierce love.

Joining the organization on August 5, 2005, Vennita stepped into a mission that was more than just a job—it was a calling. Inspired by a single, powerful moment of witnessing Peak Ed’s founder, Dr. H. Dalton Conner, speak with students, she knew this was where she was meant to be. Since then, she’s never looked back.

Vennita is more than a Program Director. She’s the “keeper of the flame,” as former CEO Jon Stepleton once said—a title she’s carried with quiet strength and unwavering conviction. 

“Ms. Vennita has given me many advice for almost everything I can imagine, but I would definitely say... the best advice Ms. Vennita has given me is that you create your opportunities. The way you walk into a room, the way you greet people, your smile, the way you carry yourself is how you create opportunities for yourself. And as long as you continue to carry yourself in a great and positive way, positive things will continue to come to you.”

— Kelajane Curry, Peak Education Scholar

“Miss V showed me how important it was to have somebody who really cared—not just about your grades, but about who you were becoming.”

— Jesse Perez, Peak Education Alumni

She is a fierce advocate for students and families, a compassionate listener, and a relentless champion for the potential in every young person who walks through our doors. And she does it all with love—not only for Peak Ed, but for the community as a whole.

“I adore her. She's like our family. I know that she cares about these kids—and that’s what makes me love her.”— Cherlyn Halliburton, Peak Education Parent

"She was like our second mom. She showed up, checked in, held us accountable, and made sure we believed we were capable of more than we ever imagined."— Kavada Larzo, Peak Education Alumna

Her commitment isn’t confined to office hours or program boundaries. Vennita lives her mission. Whether it’s helping a family find food, guiding a teen through a difficult season, or showing up at a school event just to cheer someone on—she embodies what it means to be rooted in community. She doesn’t just serve Peak Education and the community; she belongs to it, and it to her.

“If I could find a hundred Vennitas, I would do it in a heartbeat, because the world would be a better place.”

— Chuy Alvarez, Peak Education Alumni

“If we could clone Vennita, we would.”— Susan Pattee, Long-time Supporter of Peak Education & Foundation Board President 

She’s mentored hundreds of students—sometimes across generations—and built lifelong relationships grounded in trust and love. The young mother who once hid from her in middle school came back years later to introduce her newborn son. Another student, headed off to college on a full-ride scholarship, asked Vennita to call her when she made it back home—mirroring the very care Vennita had shown her all those years.

“I love Vennita so much. She’s an amazing person. She treats you like family—she really talks to you with intention and concern and care and love. It was amazing when I graduated with my master’s and Vennita went to my graduation and was there cheering me on. I’m getting goosebumps—it was just amazing to me.”

 — Shequeeta Hazard Barnes, Peak Education Alumna

Peak Education would not be what it is today without her. Vennita’s presence has shaped our culture, deepened our mission, and modeled what it means to truly serve with heart. Her story is a living reminder that education is about more than academics—it’s about connection, compassion, and never giving up on a child’s potential.

Thank you, Vennita, for 20 years of heart-forward leadership.

We honor you today, Vennita, with profound gratitude and admiration. For 20 years of dedication—not just to a job, but to the people and communities you’ve uplifted—we thank you. Your legacy is written in the lives you’ve lifted, the families you’ve supported, and the future you’ve helped shape—one conversation, one student, one act of kindness at a time.

You are family.

You are legacy.

You are Peak Education.