This week, we sat down with Alanna Verde from the BAHS talent acquisition team to discuss her wedding planning tips, favorite NYC restaurants, top charities, book recommendations, and more.
Alanna Verde
Talent Acquisition Specialist
Age: 25
Current place of residence: Malta, NY
Originally from a small town in upstate NY, Alanna moved to NYC with her high school sweetheart during the 2020 pandemic to become a Kindergarten Teacher, then returned to upstate New York when she joined the BAHS team in 2022. Alanna can be described as a “kind and gentle spirited” person, as her friends like to say.
While in high school and on, Alanna has always had a passion working for children. From being a preschool teacher, summer camp counselor, infant teacher, kindergarten teacher and all the way to nannying, working with children is something she truly enjoys doing.
Outside of work Alanna enjoys reading, hiking, traveling/going on road trips, watching Netflix, and cuddling her cats Leo & Lola. Alanna is also a foodie and loves to try out new restaurants (but is an extremely picky eater).
If you could give your 18-year-old self some words of wisdom, what would they be?
My favorite quote – “Always Remember the Why”.
You worked as a nanny, a Kindergarten teacher, and a camp counselor before joining BAHS. What do you love about working with children?
Children are resilient and have so much they can learn. I love that I can make a lasting impact on their life, I love that not only can I teach them, but they have also taught me so much. Children are the future and I love being able to watch them grow.
What do you do in times of stress?
Whenever I get stressed out, I love going for walks. Whether my walks be around my neighborhood, or up a mountain, walking is very therapeutic for me.
Where is your happy place?
My happy place is the beach. I love listening to the waves crash onto the shore.
Where is your favorite place you’ve ever visited?
My absolute favorite place I visited was Maui, HI. The culture, the people, and the environment were all just something out of a storybook. It was my dream destination, and it was breathtaking being there.
Which charity or campaign is close to your heart and why?
So many to choose from! Kids Need More Camp Adventure, and Double H Ranch are my absolute favorites and are so close to my heart. These two camps I had attended from a young age with my siblings. My brother was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia when he was 4 years old and attending these camps my siblings and I were able to meet other patients and their siblings who knew what we were going through. These camps allowed us to know that we were not alone in this fight. I have made lifelong friends from these camps, and these camps give back so much to children and their siblings who are going through childhood cancer, and other illnesses.
You were recently married. Congratulations! What was your favorite part of wedding planning? Any advice for upcoming brides-to-be?
My absolute favorite part of wedding planning was being able to finally put my vision board to life! I had been waiting for this moment since I was 14 (when my husband and I got together), so I had a lot of ideas constantly running through my mind. My advice would be to cherish every moment of planning, you can get so caught up in the moment of the stress and chaos but you will look back and not think about the stress but the memories you got to create.
We know you love trying new restaurants. What are some of your favorites – in NY or elsewhere?
My favorite restaurants in NYC are Milkflower (Astoria), Il Bambino (Astoria), Arthur & Sons, L’Artusi, Maison Pickle, Lil Frankie’s, & Gramercy Tavern.
What is your favorite genre of book? Any recommendations?
My favorite genre is definitely psychological thriller. I love Freida McFadden, Lisa Jackson, Lisa Jewell, and Charlie Donlea. I also love romance books by Colleen Hoover, Christina Lauren, Taylor Jenkins Reid, and Emily Henry.
If you’d like to learn more about our team, you can visit this page. You can also find more Q&As with our team here.