Civic Dispatch: Jasper Kids are Living it Big

By Kyra Richardson

[Editor’s Note: With this issue of the Civic Dispatch, we begin our annual feature of student journalism pieces from the DMC’s Jean O’Connor-Snyder Internship Program. Each month, we will hear from another University of Alabama intern who will share their summertime experiences working alongside the member organizations of the Walker Area Community Foundation.]

Well, the kids of Jasper are alright. That's according to local educator and softball coach Ms. Bre.

If you saw Breanna "Ms. Bre" Marbury, you would think she looked like anyone else: five-foot-something, Black, thirty-three years old, with braces and curls up in a bun. Most of the time she looks like you and me, in a zip hoodie and a pair of Crocs or sandals. However, after spending several long weeks by her side, I can say no one knows Jasper youth like Ms. Bre. I saw this one Sunday evening, as she invited me to watch her softball players play at A.P. Howell Park, a local baseball field.

The air was humid from a recent rain, and nighttime gnats flocked toward the field lights. The metal benches outside the fence were crowded. I sit shoulder to shoulder with parents, many of them chatting with each other when they weren't shouting louder than the umpire. In the batting cage is Ms. Bre. I see her motivate each girl before they're off to bat and when they're coming back to the cage, passing hive-fives and muttering encouragements only she and the player can hear.

By the end of the game, the girls' uniforms are more red dirt than fabric. In the camaraderie, Ms. Bre takes a moment to find me in the bleachers. The first thing I see from her outside the batting cage is a smile.

Here, the community is palpable. Ms. Bre is as passionate as the parents are, and as passionate as the players. Everyone wants to win. Here, there is a purpose.

This is every Sunday night in Ms. Bre's world whenever the climate gets hot. During the typical school year, she works in elementary special education. This summer, I had the pleasure of meeting her as a fellow counselor in Girls Incorporated of Central Alabama, an all-girls summer camp. Our chapter is located right here in Jasper. My presence in Ms. Bre’s world comes via the David Mathews Center’s Jean O’Connor Snyder Internship Program. In partnership with the Center, the University of Alabama’s New College, and the Walker Area Community Foundation, I’ve been placed with Girls Inc. to learn about nonprofit operations and civic engagement.

Between the softball, summer camp, and primary education, it seems like Ms. Bre's life was destined to involve children. But according to her, it wasn't always meant to be this way. Ms. Bre graduated from the University of Alabama with a degree in Criminal Justice and a minor in Computer Science. College was a quick chapter in Ms. Bre's life, but as she recalls, "My favorite part was meeting people from different backgrounds and learning from experienced professors. As I got older, I wanted to give that same encouragement back." Her accent is deeply southern, each word leaning on the next.

Ms. Bre only recently moved to Jasper as an educator, starting in early 2026. She grew up in Carbon Hill, a small town only about fifteen minutes outside Jasper, but that never stopped her from living out all her childhood in the city.

"I spent a lot of time in Jasper through Girls Inc. and softball and eventually transferred to Walker High School as a freshman, where I graduated. That transition introduced me to lifelong friendships and opportunities that helped shape who I am today," she says. "Jasper has always been a big part of my story. Carbon Hill gave me my foundation, and Jasper became the place where I grew, built relationships, and eventually established my career."

Girls Inc. is really where it all began for her. "Programs like Girls Inc., coaches, teachers, mentors, they had a lasting impact on my life. As I got older, I wanted to give that same encouragement back." Jasper poured so much of its resources and love into her, and now she returns the favor.

From once being a young participant herself to now working with them full-time, Ms. Bre has a unique and valuable perspective on the local boys and girls. "I've seen our youth from many perspectives—as a camper, athlete, coach, and educator. I believe they're resilient, creative, and full of potential."

Ms. Bre and I are typically side-by-side on a weekday afternoon, where the Girls Inc. carpool line is trailing into the main road. The girls collect themselves effortlessly: pen and clipboard in hand, ready to be signed out for the day, bookbags dangling off their backs. The older sisters never get in first, always opening the back door for the smaller girl. And Ms. Bre knows each car and each parent, calling the camper to the front before the car can even fully arrive. The children and adults of Jasper operate like a well-oiled machine. Ms. Bre is a local adult that believes each one of them is capable of being the next generation of city leaders.

Currently, Jasper’s city sector is working diligently to ramp up the community’s developments. A strategic plan known as FOCUS 2030 is a guide for the people of Jasper, describing how exactly the city’s leaders plan to move forward. Working so closely with the up- and-coming leaders, workers, and residents of Jasper, Ms. Bre also has an interesting perspective on the city’s direction. How ought the city work to prepare their youth for the future?

"I wish there had been even more opportunities that exposed young people to careers, leadership, technology, and entrepreneurship." Ms. Bre admits. "Kids need safe places to grow, mentors who genuinely care, and opportunities that help them realize their potential regardless of where they come from."

Girls Inc. daily teaches the girls science, art, financial literacy, and fitness. Informally, they are learning about teamwork and conflict management. Even outside of day camp, many of the girls attend band or sports camp or even Vacation Bible School. Often, the campers are absent because of travelling—some to nearby Birmingham, others to Atlanta and Kentucky. The adults of Jasper are working hard to show the world to the children, showing them all the life options the world has to offer.

Like nearly all parents and educators, the modern hardships of raising children today are not lost on Ms. Bre. "Jasper used to have a movie theater and roller-skating rink…. Today, kids have more access to technology, and that creates pressure I never experienced," she describes. "[Parents and educators] do what they can, but I wish [children] had a more focused childhood."

Even if there is work to be done, the kids of Jasper get a taste of everything they can— between summer camps, sports, community pools, and everything in between. Jasper offers a world of gems. The people, their care, charisma, and love for their children, is what makes Jasper as insightful as it appears.

"I get to serve children in the same community that invested in me," Ms. Bre told me. "It feels like a full-circle moment, and I do not take that for granted."

Kyra Richardson is a rising junior at The University of Alabama pursuing a depth study in Creative Facilitation through New College. Kyra was placed with Girls Incorporated of Central Alabama, where she helped empower young girls through engaging summer programming that encouraged them to be intelligent, responsible, and creative.