Avery Friend

Providing administrative and programmatic support for the Center director, staff, students, and faculty working with volunteer programs and community-engaged teaching, her responsibilities include management of the departmental budget and finances, event coordination, oversight of the departmental web pages, record keeping, development of office publications, and general public relations. In addition, she runs the America Reads and Counts tutoring program which partners Bowdoin students with local elementary and middle schools.

Avery grew up in the New Orleans area, where she studied Creative Writing and spent several years working in local high schools. After moving to Maine in 2017 she worked as Volunteer Coordinator for Michael Klahr Jewish Family Services in Portland, managing volunteer engagement for the department’s food pantry, diaper bank, and other social service offerings.

Outside of her professional life she has volunteered for organizations and programs dedicated to supporting the LGBTQ+ community, post-hurricane animal rescue, and fundraising for early childhood and college education opportunities in low-income areas. Outside of work Avery can be found watching her favorite Sci-Fi series, writing poetry, traveling with her friends and family, spending time outdoors during the summer, and looking forward to summer during the winter.