AIYANA ROSS,
Executive Director
Aiyana Ross, a native of Chicago, Illinois, Aiyana is a passionate educator with an expertise in middle level math and science.
As a product of Chicago Public Schools, Aiyana has grown committed to understanding how trauma impacts learning and how compassion-based classrooms can transform student outcomes. Aiyana has used her lived experiences to fuel her ambition, earning a B.S. in Middle Level Education from Georgia State University and a M.S. in International Educational Development from the University of Pennsylvania. She co-founded Black Girls International to show girls around the world that neither trauma nor poverty defines their potential.
My Story
One of her favorite travel adventures was her recent trip to Muscat, Oman, a country she had the pleasure of visiting while teaching in the United Arab Emirates. She hiked through the canyon and swam through the crystal clear waters of the Wadi Shab. While living in the Middle East Aiyana developed a deeper appreciation for language and culture, teaching students who knew 3+ languages and came from such diverse backgrounds. She has now traveled to 14 countries and is excited to continue exploring regions and continents outside of her own.
Through the founding of BGI, Aiyana hopes that girls from Chicago and all other cities see their infinite potential and have the confidence, education, and support to go after their wildest dreams.