Angelica Brown (’17)

“CBU has tremendously redefined and shaped my identity. I am thankful to all of my professors for believing in me and giving me a chance when I doubted myself countless times. Because of CBU, I am a great professional and leader in my community.”

Angelica Brown graduated from CBU in 2017 with a Bachelor of Arts in English for Corporate Communications. As a student, she held internships at Congressman Steve Cohen’s office, the Shelby County District Attorney, Donati Law, and the City of Memphis. Today, she is a Social Studies teacher at American Way Middle School and a team leader for her 6th-grade 6B team. She also tutors students in reading and writing skills (such as comprehension, grammar, and etymology) to prepare them for TNReady testing and works with her students’ parents to engage them in volunteer opportunities with community groups such as Girls Inc., Bridge Builders, and MAM Memphis.

Angelica fondly recalls becoming involved with community service during September of Service. “I loved volunteering and connecting with the community,” she says. “It brought me a great sense of humility, gratitude, and overall love. And I couldn’t name a more perfect person to coordinate and organize such an impactful project than Dr. Burke!”

Angelica says that her favorite classes were with the late Dr. Vincent O’Neill, who taught Literature & Languages at CBU for 50 years:

Survey to British Lit I and II were both challenging courses, and I remember failing my very first test in the beginning of the semester. I felt very defeated and discouraged. I went to his office to see how I could finish the semester off strong. Professor O’Neill provided me with note-taking strategies and encouraged me by saying, ‘Failing means you’re trying!’ In my mind, I didn’t want to fail anything and didn’t quite understand what he meant at the time. But now, I carry those words to encourage my students.