Staff: Colleen Gnos

Hailing from the Seattle area, Colleen became a Friend in the summer of 2020. She holds a Masters in Education from University of Portland. Her first calling was to the classroom as elementary teacher, building a love for literacy and learning with her students. Her talent for building positive relationships and social emotional skills really focused on instilling confidence within the young people she taught. When she heard about Friends of the Children she couldn’t believe it was a real job. Depending on her early childhood development background and how kids learn, but the job gave her the opportunity to dive further into her passion for working young people who had experienced trauma. “I think I approached this job with an awareness of my own privilege and a desire to serve, but in the time I’ve been here I’ve come to realize how critical having a trusted adult in your life is. Someone that is always there for you and loves you unconditionally. I didn’t fully appreciate that as a kid.” Colleen relishes that we get to connect our youth to extracurricular activities that allow them to find their spark. “All my girls are moving into adolescence now and reaching for their own sparks. The courage that takes is incredible to witness.” This job has been the most fulfilling of her life because of the tangible impact she gets to make on our youth.