Janai Gilkes
Childhood Special and General Education '20
If you feel this call to be a career changer, you weren't called by accident. You were called for a purpose. What you bring to the table adds to Bank Street’s value. Here, you can break ceilings.
For Janai Gilkes, GSE ’20, the transition into education was a deliberate move from the world of human resources and administrative management into a life of mission-driven educational leadership and community advocacy. Janai believes that those who feel a pull toward a new career are answering a meaningful purpose.
For her, the turning point arrived in 2017 while she worked with a CUNY internship program for young people in STEM. She used that role to discover how her corporate skills could translate into the social impact she craved.
Janai decided to become a teacher, and she chose Bank Street to earn her dual certification master’s degree in Childhood Special and General Education because she wanted to understand the “whole child.” This hallmark philosophy at Bank Street—that a child’s emotional and social life is the foundation for their academic success—was solidified during a powerful moment at her fieldwork at Grace Church School. She worked with a young Black student and found herself looking past existing labels to the child underneath. By building a connection rooted in representation and empathy, she watched his entire educational trajectory shift toward success.
“It was a lightbulb moment for me because I saw him thrive through representation,” Janai said. “We know that seeing yourself reflected in your leadership matters.”
Today, Janai has moved from lead teacher roles into an executive position as the Foster Grandparent Program Director for the New York City Department for the Aging. She manages multimillion-dollar budgets and oversees 200 older adults who mentor children in schools and hospitals. She credits Bank Street’s conference group and advisement model for giving her the professional voice she now uses to lead and advocate within city government.
Janai’s advice to those feeling a similar pull toward change is to trust the skills they have already built in other fields. She encourages others to embrace possibility and trust themselves throughout their journey.
“When I think of Bank Street, I think of a community that stays with you,” Janai said. “”If you feel this call to be a career changer, you weren’t called by accident. You were called for a purpose. What you bring to the table adds to Bank Street’s value. Here, you can break ceilings.”
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