2024 Difference Maker: Juggling Dreams: The inspiring journey of Brittney Swicionis from Chicago to Cape Girardeau

(Photo by Aaron Eisenhauer)

Brittney Swicionis grew up on the south side of Chicago, the oldest daughter and granddaughter on both sides of her family. As a child, she always had something going on. She participated in multiple sports, dancing throughout the year and playing softball in the summer. In third grade, when invited to hang out with a friend, she replied, “Let me go home and check my calendar.” It was almost always full. Between the family-owned business and juggling extra-curriculars, Swicionis grew up fast. But she doesn’t see it as a bad thing. In the transition from childhood to adulthood, she learned a lot about hard work, finances and the economy. She was also taught to serve with an open heart.

“I remember the year my parents said we weren’t going to our annual New Year’s Eve movie,” says Swicionis, who was crushed at the time. “Instead, they were taking my sister and me to serve the unsheltered. I felt like they were taking something away. But getting to serve people who don’t look like you and being able to give to people in need…it ended up being the most memorable experience.”

After not missing one single day of high school, Swicionis attended a community college for two years in Chicago before transferring to Southeast Missouri State University in 2014. A Sundancer and member of Gamma Sigma Sigma, Swicionis stayed busy in college, too. After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in health management: exercise science and a master's degree in higher education administration: sports management, she married Tony Bono. And together, along with their dog, Millie, they have been living in Cape Girardeau ever since.

Today, Swicionis works full-time for Big Brothers Big Sisters as the associate regional director of the ABC Today Network. She also works part-time as an adjunct instructor through Southeast Missouri State University and is the owner of Board & Brush Creative Studio in downtown Cape. A few evenings a week, she teaches high-energy fitness classes at the Osage Centre.

“I do love working,” says Swicionis. “I love making lists, making a difference and getting stuff done. I’m fortunate to work a hybrid job at Big Brothers, Big Sisters, and I have 11 people that work for me at Board & Brush. But I can’t imagine not working on a Saturday. In business, you have to be flexible and I’m not above the small tasks.”

Swicionis works about 12 hours a day, bouncing between her different worlds, and yet she still finds time to volunteer and give back, just like her parents taught her. As former co-director of the Redhawk Kids Camp, she planned activities and experiences for youth throughout the summer months. Over the last seven years, Swicionis has served in HOBY (Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership) within Missouri and is the chapter advisor for Gamma Sigma Sigma.

It takes planning, prioritizing and delegating, but Swicionis says she’s not afraid to ask for help…or take a nap.

“I’m a proud napper. People want to know how I send emails at midnight. It’s because I napped.”

Bi-weekly therapy, fitness and walking her dog are also part of how Swicionis shows up for herself, which allows her to show up as the best version of herself for everyone else. But it’s being involved in the community and surrounding herself with like-minded people that truly fill her cup, keeping her energized and invested, willing to try and willing to fail — something she used to be afraid of.

“It was nine months before I publicly announced the purchase of Board & Brush,” says Swicionis, an introvert who hates disappointing customers. “It was an expensive decision. And I thought, 'What if I fail?'”

But over time, Swicionis has chosen to fail forward and learn from her mistakes. When she’s wrong, she acknowledges it. When she needs a break, she takes one. And if the mission doesn’t align or she feels stretched too thin, she says no.

“It takes all of us to come together to positively impact this community,” says Swicionis. “Anything is possible if you put the work in. Sometimes it’s messy and uncomfortable. But anyone can make a difference.”