Jaime, you are a role model rising within academia at Georgetown University. What is your personal story?

My story begins in New Jersey, where I was born and raised as the eldest of five. I credit a lot of my growth and development as a Black person, student, and educator to my holistic experience at African People's Action School (APAS) in Trenton, NJ where I completed K-4th grade. It was there that I learned the power and strength rooted in my Black womanhood as we sang the National Black Anthem daily and started each morning with a unity circle. 

Another key component of my story is my time in undergrad at Rutgers University where I was a really involved student. I had several administrators there who were invested in me and my wellbeing. I knew I did not want college to end, so I pursued a Higher Ed and Student Affairs graduate degree at NYU. I have worked in a variety of departments from Admissions to Housing, and now Student Engagement. Beyond my work as a staff person at Georgetown, I am also an incoming MBA student. After being waitlisted and denied in 2018, I decided to reapply because there's no better time than now and education is always the best investment you can make in yourself.

How can First Gen students learn from your path, especially during this time of COVID-19, the transparency of years of police brutality and other injustices and the loss of jobs, internships, etc?

I hope first-gen students see a desire to persevere. Perseverance has been a common theme in my story as a student and throughout adulthood. It is even more essential when the cards are stacked against you and the odds are not in your favor.  Everyone won't have an APAS - that's why my bio is as specific as it is. "...being present on campus as a resource for Black staff and students." Of course I am here for everybody; my work would not be so highly regarded if I was not, but I think it is imperative especially now to highlight my interest and love for Black students, especially as a Black person.

As an emerging young, inclusive leader, what are the changes that you most want to see so that we can have an equitable country that can provide opportunity for all and lead the world  once again on multiple measures?

I want to see overall reform, or more radically, complete overhauls of many systems. I want to Black liberation under Black leadership. I want to see an erasure of anti-Blackness amongst all people, policies, and procedures. Black people have experienced both systemic and systematic oppression and racism for centuries. What plagues our community is all by design, so radical change is needed.

As an educator, I have the most concrete ideas for that system - including but not limited to: funding for schools like APAS, Black History being taught in all schools beyond the month of February, an end to the school to prison pipeline (enhance teacher training, incorporate wellness/restorative justice practices), better funding for HBCUs, reparations (especially at institutions involved in acts related to the enslavement of people), more pre-college programs, better K-12 guidance counselors, encouragement for Black students to pursue post-secondary education... this list could continue.

What do you most want to do in your lifetime as a courageous thought leader and change-maker?

I want Black people to be free of the mental deterrents that still hold many of us back. Whether it's seeking approval, judging one another by holding each other to standards upheld by White supremacy, and any/all types of self-doubt and self-hate, I want Black people especially Black youth to buck up against systems that reinforce that.

I want to use my knowledge to improve the field of education. I can see myself as a Chief Diversity Officer and later President of a college/university. I also want to influence local K-12 education systems, with an emphasis on better preparing students for college life.

Bio:

Jaime  Brown serves as the Associate Director of the Center for Student Engagement at Georgetown University. There she directly advises 50+ large, high impact student clubs and organizations. She started at the University in November 2016 and has taken on many roles, including sitting on two diversity and inclusion committees. She has been acknowledged by staff and students with various awards and accolades for her commitment to the community. She is passionate about the first-year experience, wellness (particularly through yoga), and being present on campus as a resource for Black staff and students.