SYNERGY - Dr. Naima Brown

Dr. Naima Brown takes education very seriously. From her time as a student to her career as a college administrator, she has been advocating for and supporting others who are trying to enhance their lives with a college degree.

Dr. Brown is a product of Florida academia. She earned her bachelor’s degree in sociology from Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University and her graduate degrees in sociology from the University of Florida.

“I pursued higher education a thousand miles away from my family. This was a daunting new challenge that stretched me outside of my comfort zone.”

The payoff for this difficult move was certainly worth it, as Brown is currently the Vice President for Student Affairs at Santa Fe College, a position she has held for eight years. “I am proud to lead a team of professionals that is focused on increasing access, improving support, advancing success, and creating equity for about 22,000 students annually.”

As a first-generation college graduate herself, Brown understands both the impasses new college students face, as well as the significance of graduation. In underprivileged or minority communities, the completion of a college degree represents hope and a promise for a better life for the recipient and their families. “Nothing compares to [this] communal celebration of goals achieved and credentials earned. As a first-generation college student myself, I know how much the [graduation] ceremony means. Graduation is a commemoration of our students’ accomplishments, a salute to our faculty and staff’s work, and a symbol of the college’s investment into the local community. With every graduation that we host, I am filled with joy and hope.”

This is precisely why she has been working outside her professional career to assist young adults find their way into higher education. Brown is a trained guided pathways coach and is serving as a navigator with the Florida Pathways Institute to increase student success and equity statewide. She also serves on the Board of Directors for two organizations that impact under-represented youth: the Education Foundation and the Pace Center for Girls. She works hard to give others the opportunities she received and to raise up underprivileged communities.

“Like many minorities, I have experienced the imposter syndrome where I sometimes feel like I do not belong because of my background. When I get that feeling, I remind myself that I may not have traveled the same road as the others in the room, but we have all ended up in the same spot.”

Brown is very optimistic, and views change positively. She hopes to inspire others to reach outside of their comfort zone and say “yes” to as many opportunities as possible, even the ones that seem scary or unreasonable.

“Say yes when you are presented with an exciting opportunity that fills you with dread because you have a fear of failure or a fear of the unknown. I’ve learned that when you say yes, your inner courage eventually kicks in and smothers every fear that would hinder you from going on into your greatness.”

The greatest challenge she, along with Santa Fe College, is facing is the COVID-19 pandemic. This public health crisis has impacted colleges tremendously, as now administrators must consider the health and safety of their faculty and students in an entirely new light, and still deliver on their pledge to provide a high-quality education. Regardless of the roadblocks she has faced, Brown doesn’t back down from challenges, and has said “yes” to finding a solution to these issues.

“We used digital lobbies, zoom video conferencing, email messages, telephone calls, electronic form submissions, and virtual tours to meet our students and potential students where they were. To narrow the digital divide, we lent laptops and webcams to students who did not have computers at home. As a college, we also expanded our wi-fi services so that students could continue to progress towards their goals. Even more, we set up processes to distribute over 7 million dollars in federal emergency aid grants to our students who were impacted by COVID-19.”

Dr. Brown wants to be known as someone who brings light into others’ lives. Her team’s response to the problems of the pandemic shows her commitment to sharing the light of education and to never backing down from a challenge.

“I want my colleagues to say that I was a professional who consistently brought a positive outlook into our discussions. I want my students to describe me as someone who helped them become more confident about their own future plans. I want my friends to say that I encouraged them to become their best selves by trusting God. And I want my family to say that I loved them, appreciated them, and inspired them. To me, this will mean that I will have made a significant difference with my life.”