We recently connected with Jessica Brown and have shared our conversation below.
Jessica, so glad you were able to set aside some time for us today. We’ve always admired not just your journey and success, but also the seemingly high levels of self-discipline that you seem to have mastered and so maybe we can start by chatting about how you developed it or where it comes from?
I honestly don’t remember a time when I didn’t have self-discipline. I think it really comes down to the deep desires and goals I have for your life and having an understanding of what I want my life to look like. My thought process is: “If I really want it, I need to do whatever is in my control to make it happen.” In that way, I guess my self-discipline comes from truly believing in the vision I have for Brown Institute for Young Learners and our young children.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
Brown Institute for Young Learners is a nonprofit PreK – 3rd grade educational institution designed to provide a solid educational foundation for children across a variety of cultural backgrounds. Brown Institute developed from my own experiences as a student of color, in the public education system, and as an educator of color. In my experience, there are very few spaces where children of color are allowed to be their full authentic selves; often times, we are merely tolerated by the educational system. In addition, through my experience as a teacher and literacy coach, I saw that the vast majority of children were not reading on grade level. How could this even be?! The statistics are even worse for children of color. Only 18% of black children leave 3rd grade reading proficiently! There are LIFELONG ramifications when children leave 3rd grade as non-proficient readers.
I wanted to create a space where young children where celebrated culturally and could thrive academically, thus Brown Institute for Young Learners was created. Currently, we are gearing up for the launch of our micro-school for the 2024-2025 school year! We are super excited about embarking on this journey.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
1 Believe in Your Vision: No one knows your vision like you do. It is imperative that you hold tight to that vision despite the negative feedback or lack of support. I like to remind myself that I won’t be for everybody, and that’s ok. But what I will do is be the absolute best for the families that I do serve. I know that Brown Institute meets the needs of many families’ deep desires to have their child in a specialized learning environment where they are supported in reaching their fullest potential. Stay true to your vision.
2. Have a Plan: What are you going to do to make your vision a reality? In the very beginning, when I wasn’t sure what the next steps in my plan would be, I made sure to do a little something towards my grand vision every day. In the beginning, that might look like doing research to build your knowledge, practicing to perfect your craft, and or journaling your vision to help determine what your next actionable step will be.
3. Flexible: I have experienced many twists and turns in this journey, and I know there are more to come. However, staying flexible is critical when trying to accomplish something great. I understand that to see my vision for Brown Institute come to fruition there will be challenges and being flexible will allow me to bend and flow with the obstacles versus allowing them to halt our progress.
What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? Any advice or strategies?
Take a break! For me that is the gym. I am faithfully at the gym 5-6 days a week. If I am having a mental block, feeling overwhelmed, or in a runt, I head to the gym or find some way to move my body. I found that completely taking my mind off the task at hand and returning later, always helps me to come back with a fresh mind.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.browninstituteforyounglearners.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brownlearners/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BrownLearners
