Parents as Changemakers: How community involvement shapes a school district’s way forward

By Brenda Kessler

I met Emily Jabbour, a Hoboken council member and mother of two young girls, in my first meeting. She was often (and deservingly so) praised by other local parents for her work around the community. “While it always makes for a juggle to find the time away from work to be present in a school community during the day, it sets an important example of civic engagement for a child from an early age,” said Emily when I asked her why she chooses to volunteer.

By Jennifer Tripuka

Emily is a 10-year resident of Hoboken and mom of two daughters (ages 6 and 3) who attend the Brandt School. She works full time as the Performance Officer for the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) in the US Department of Health & Human Services, volunteers as the Hudson County Leader for the local chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, and was elected to be a Councilperson-at-Large for the City of Hoboken in 2017.

CSSW connection: Emily Jabbour earned an MSW in social policy, with a Law minor, from CSSW in 2006. She served as president of CSSW’s Alumni Association from 2011 to 2013, after which she was elected to be a member of Columbia Alumni Association Board of Directors. In 2017 she received the Columbia Alumni Medal, the highest honor bestowed by the Columbia Alumni Association (CAA) for distinguished service to the University.