Ms. Willie E. Hubbard Brooks, M. ED, BBA (Accounting) Founder and CEO of BenCheri Educational Center, was born and raised in the Acres Home Community (the “44″) and has been very active throughout her lifetime by giving back to the community in various capacities. Ms. Hubbard Brooks previously worked as a Math and Reading tutor at various local Houston middle schools from 2006-2015. Ms. Hubbard Brooks has been in education for 16 1/2 years. She began her career in 2006 at numerous schools in Houston ISD as a Degreed Associate Teacher, HISD Apollo program from 2011-2015 as an Intervention Tutorial Instructor for 6th-8th grade Math and Reading. During this period, Ms. Hubbard Brooks started her own Educational 501C3 Non-Profit Organization, BenCheri’ Educational Center in 2014 and is currently continuing renovations on the facility to run this business.
Prior to working in the Education field, Ms. Hubbard Brooks worked as a Senior Accountant at various Oil and Gas Companies in Houston, Texas. During her spare time, she worked with a local after-school program to ensure the success of all the children she would come in contact with. Ms. Hubbard Brooks is a native Houstonian who received a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, with a concentration in Accounting from Prairie View A&M University and a master’s degree in Education from Grand Canyon University.
Her Accounting, Educational and Entrepreneur background and personal experiences, (which she learned from her mother, Dorothy Mae Harper Hubbard, who was also her inspiration, mentor and was definitely groomed by her mother to be the person she has become, which is to serve others and give back to the community and other), has helped make our communities safe, secure, and wants to restore the vitality of its treasured history. This has shaped her to be the person she is today. Her purpose in life is to shape as many students’ minds in a positive and intellectual way by narrowing the illiteracy gap among our youth of today and to maintain the stability of our elderly by offering may resources to make the communities she touches evolve.
Mr. Benjamin Nathaniel Brooks, BS, President and Executive Officer hails from the Third Ward community of Houston, Texas, and is a corporate professional with a commitment to community empowerment. Benjamin’s experiences growing up in a predominantly low-income neighborhood and his family’s commitment to education have allowed him to achieve academic success while at the same time inspiring him to work toward empowering others from similar backgrounds. At the age of 18, he graduated high school with both his diploma and college associate degree, which is a testament to his devotion to academic achievement. Benjamin then graduated from Georgetown’s School of Foreign Service, one of the most prestigious programs in the country, with a degree in International Politics and a focus on Security Studies.
However, he takes the most pride in the community work he was able to engage in while at Georgetown. He served as both a coordinator and tutor with the After School Kids Program (ASK) where he was able to interact with court-involved youth in DC. This gave Benjamin the opportunity to become a mentor to students who live in communities similar to where he grew up and help them avoid the pitfalls associated with the pressures that exist in these communities. The lessons learned through experience and through his interaction with others from various backgrounds motivate Benjamin to work toward inciting positive change no matter where he goes.
Mrs. Sheree Nicole Brooks-Thompson, BS, Executive Director, Treasurer, is a native Houstonian. She attended Jack Yates High School, graduated with honors, and was very active with various school activities. She received her Bachelors of Science degree from Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas with a concentration in Communication. She currently works in the administration portion of a newly implemented chain of Emergency rooms located in the Golden Triangle. In the past 4 years she has been involved in the Insurance and administrative side of the healthcare profession.
She values education and professionalism in herself as well as those she surrounds herself with. She has been in the medical field for quite some time but has a niche for creativity and extra curricular activities. She believes that being a well rounded individual is being a smart one. She highly advocates for higher learning and mental health in sound minds and believes it is the basis of a strong societal structure. She believe that programs like this do matter and she prays that they continue in a world where her young daughter may experience the importance of an education. With personal attachments to the Acres Homes area, she supports any efforts that go toward seeing the community flourish in a positive way.
Quietstorm is a multidisciplinary artist. Starting her career as a natural born poet and spoken word artist metamorphosing into a visual art. Quietstorm is a published author, poet and spoken word artist who embraced her creative skills and began to create visual arts into her masterpieces. Playing with charcoal with painting, and including various textures in her work, Quietstorm was an active leader in the Outspoken Poetry Society at Jackson State University.
She currently has her first published book out titled Letting My Scent Linger with Words V.I  and is in the process of publishing the second volume of a collection of four. Quietstorm established JRA Industries, a global movement that reopens the minds and hearts of those who have been systematically suppressed by the ways of their own personal mental society through strategic plans, workshops, programs and other sensory based learning education.
Aarushi Pant, Administrative Assistant, is studying Computational Social Science at the University of Pittsburgh Frederick Honors College. Aarushi has always been passionate about advocacy and social justice work, and has been heavily involved in causes such as gender inequity and civic engagement. At Pitt, Aarushi is a SAFE Peer Leader with Prevention at Pitt, as well as the Vice President of Communications and Founding Member of Alpha Sigma Kappa – Women in Technical Studies chapter. Aarushi hopes to make the tech industry more diverse, inclusive, and equitable, and create technologies that are accessible to everyone.
Cheryl Easter Dearborne, Consultant, Advisor and Mentor, attended Rice University for High school Students in 1968 then graduated with Honors from M. C. Williams Sr. High, HISD. Her college courses centered around a minor in Speech Pathology and a major in English. After two years, she attended McMahon College of Court Reporting in Houston. Upon receiving her degree, she worked as a Stenographer in Criminal, Civil, Immigration, County, City and Traffic Courts in Miami, Florida. Cheryl was a Certified Court Reporter for Judge Calvin Mapp and was the Owner/Operator of Dearborne Reporting until she returned to Houston in 1981.
The next phase of her life included being a wife and mother of two children. She also worked as the School Secretary, then School Records Clerk for Wesley Elementary School until 1984. Following the birth of her second child, Cheryl worked as: Office Manager at Micrographic Systems, Defensive Driving Instructor at the College of the Mainland in Texas City, Texas; QSC at Compaq Computer; Security Officer at Enron for RPM, later Securitas; Shift Supervisor for a Domino’s Pizza Franchise.
She was on the Board of Director of the PMBC Credit Union for a short time in 1989. Thereafter, Cheryl worked as a Caregiver for two stroke patients until 2022.
Presently, Cheryl is the owner of a Juice Plus Franchise in Houston, Texas.
She definitely shares our Mission here at BenCheri Educational Center and she plans to work diligently to make a difference in children’s lives. She will be a staple in assisting our organization in numerous roles, such as a Consultant, Advisor and Mentor, along with seeking out Sponsorships to support our Scholars.
Judy Shaver, M.Ed, is a retired certified teacher and one of the Senior Tutors at Bencheri Educational Center. She is a native Texan from the Spring Branch ISD area. She graduated from Memorial High School and furthered her career at the University of Texas and the University of Houston, graduating in 1968 with a Bachelor of Science degree, and later acquired her Masters in Education.
Judy has over 30 years of experience working with children in Elementary and Middle School and most recently, tutoring elementary students in both reading and math.
She has worked on numerous Community events sponsored by Bencheri Educational Center and is very dedicated to our mission.
Justin Wells-Ali is a dedicated grant writer and consultant, as well as a passionate community activist and advocate. As the Chairman of The Embassy of the Moors, he champions core values including self-belief, integrity, perseverance, discipline, work ethic, responsibility, innovation, leadership, service, and creativity. Justin’s commitment to empowering communities drives his work, making a meaningful impact in the lives of those he serves.
Ryan Ewings is the Kid Ambassador of the BenCheri Educational Center STEAM44 Kid Entrepreneurship Program.
