JaJuan Brown ’24

Student Spotlight

What is your major and minor?

I am graduating with a mathematics major with a concentration in statistics and minors in data science and Spanish.

Describe your experience at Shippensburg University.

I have tried exploring a wide variety of groups and clubs during my time here. To start, I have been a student of the Wood Honors for all four years here. That has opened a wide variety of opportunities for me. The biggest is undoubtedly my opportunity to do research last summer at North Carolina A&T. During a program funded by the NSA and NSF, I was able to work with about 20 years of NASA satellite data. I was the vice president of the Math Club and was in this position since 2022. I can promise you we do more than do math problems all day. This past year we did an escape room and dinner, made homemade ice cream, had board game nights, watched movies, and planned a visit to Carnegie Mellon. During my studies, I quickly realized that there is a vast ocean of opportunities to explore these passions of mine. I’ve explored business, economics, computers, and other courses too. I think my true love is found in statistics and data science. There is truly something special about being challenge with understanding data, quantifying randomness, and making predictions into the unknown.

What do you enjoy doing in your free time on campus?

The thing that I enjoy most about any area is getting to interact with the people around me. A close friend of mine made the statement that “as incredibly complicated [his] life is, there will always be people around [him] whose lives are equally complex”. This made me truly appreciate people in general much more than I did before. It made me want to learn about the people around me and potentially grow close enough to them to learn about who they truly are.

Who were your mentors at Shippensburg University?

There have been many people who have taken the time to invest in me and prepare me for a bright future and I know that I wouldn’t be able to name them all, but here is my attempt at highlighting a few. The first would be the amazing professors from the Math Department. Each of them played an instrumental role in not only teaching me about mathematics, but also teaching me how to be an effective thinker. They were willing to challenge me while also staying available to help me along the way… I have asked them more questions than any student should make their professors endure, but they were always welcoming and caring. My exploration in other areas of the school also introduced me to wonderful people such as Dr. Lesman from the Global Languages Department and Dr. Hargrove from the College of Business. These two allowed me to understand the value of opposing viewpoints and helped me learn that different views can peacefully coexist. They challenged me to be better, do better, and to have more self confidence when tackling difficult decisions. I am very grateful for them. Lastly, but certainly not least would be my family at home. My mother, sister, godparents, and so many others have been pillars in helping me believe I could achieve and supporting me along the way. For the sake of brevity I will simply say, I could never have made it here if even a single one of them was missing from the equation. They have transformed me as a person and I am grateful for them.

What advice would you give a student who is planning to attend Shippensburg University?

Come with an open mind and a willingness to explore. The path I thought I wanted to walk and the path that led me to where I am today are about as different as one could imagine. I was so indecisive that I tried every concentration that my major offered and rotated through five different minors before I found the path that I loved the most. Don’t underestimate your future potential based on your background, education, or goals.”