11 February 2025 2 minute read
When Kabrillen Jones arrived at Spelman College, she was sure of one thing—she was going to be “that girl.” A high achieving student from Springfield, Massachusetts, she had spent years thriving in predominantly white institutions, always standing out as a leader. She was prepared to do the same at Spelman, but the moment she stepped onto campus, she was met with a humbling reality: everybody was “that girl.”
At Spelman, being a Black woman wasn’t what set her apart—it was the standard. And it forced Jones to confront a question she had never truly considered: what else are you? “That’s the fantastic thing about Spelman,” she reflects. “It kind of strips that from you and says, ‘What else you got?”
For Jones, the answer wasn’t immediate. She explored multiple paths, considering law school, corporate America, and everything in between. After all, she had completed leadership development programs at Google, Goldman Sachs, and Macy’s and completed a summer internship at JP Morgan. But when she found herself on the wrong side of policy–developing strategies to manage customer data breach disclosures, a sinking feeling sit in. “I was like, no, I’m good.” That moment of disillusionment didn’t just steer her away from corporate law—it pushed her towards purpose.
She shifted her focus to education policy, pursuing graduate school at Harvard, where she “went for the management and fell in love with the policy.” Since then, Jones has worked at every level of education policy—local, state, and federal. As Deputy Chief of Student Support for Boston Public Schools, she’s no longer just drafting policies—she is enforcing it in real time, advocating for the students who are often left behind. Her work is intense, dealing with issues like student unable to attend school due to ICE raids or ensuring Black and brown girls aren’t being unfairly pushed out of classrooms. The stakes are high, but she wouldn’t trade it for anything.
Her journey has been marked by an unshakable willingness to bet on herself. She has walked away from toxic places without a safety net, pivoted when necessary, and built a career centered on prioritizing impact over prestige. Spelman instilled that confidence in her. “I came from four years of full, unfettered support into anything I put my mind to,” she says. That expectation—being believed in and valued—became her standard for every space she entered. If she finds herself in an environment like that foundation, she doesn’t settle.
Her career is proof that pivoting with purpose is possible. To walk away from things that don’t align with your values. To forge the path that aligns with your purpose and trust that even when the path isn’t cleared, you can trust yourself to make the right decision. For Jones, success is not about staying the course—it’s about creating the right one.