Abriana Chilelli

Abriana Chilelli believes deeply that there can be no true education which is not wholly directed to man’s last end (Pope Pius XI, 1929). In her decade of teaching and curriculum writing, Abriana taught hundreds of students with a variety of disabilities. She then served in the Archdiocese of Denver as Associate Superintendent for Academic Renewal, and the Archdiocese of Portland-Oregon as Associate Director of Catholic Education. During her time in the Archdiocese of Denver, under Abriana’s strategic leadership in Catholic school inclusion, the number of schools in the archdiocese increased within three years from one school serving children with profound disabilities to more than 14 schools across the archdiocese serving students with profound disabilities. Abriana led the visionary, structural, governance, and practical implementation of building a culture of inclusion across the entire archdiocese. Abriana is a leading voice on inclusion in Catholic education, and she is the winner of the 2024 FIRE Foundation Firestarter award for her leadership in inclusive Catholic education.