Brown an excellent example of a TJ Spartan that does great things in school and his community.
Photo by Mia Nogueira
Ajani Brown, a sophomore at TJ who is a part of the Multi-Intensive Special Education Program, is well known for his compassion and kindness to others through the volunteer work he does outside of school, as well as for being on honor roll every semester.
“Being a part of the Multi-Intensive Special Education Program is great and very helpful to me. My teachers, Kerry Black and Michelle Lockhart, help me pass my classes and complete my school work,” said Brown.
“Ajani is a great student who is friendly, outgoing, polite, and easy to get along with. He is very helpful in the classroom and he always completes his work with a hundred percent effort. Ajani is the type of student who is always wiling to learn, is open, and is cooperative with everything in class,” said Black. “I am most proud of Ajani’s dedication to his school work. He is currently taking a Spanish class, and I know it is a rigorous course, but he is sticking through it. Every Wednesday during Excel time he is always getting the extra help so that he can complete his assignments. I am proud of Ajani for his hard work and dedication to what he does.”
Brown has been on the honor roll every semester since elementary school. “It’s a great feeling to me because it makes me feel like I am achieving something important. I am thankful for my teachers, because without their support I don’t think I would be as successful as I am,” said Brown.
Brown says his favorite activities to do at TJ are recycling through the Multi-Intensive Special Education Program during first period, and attending his vocation class. “I like to recycle because I like to stay organized and put things in the right places. Doing this also teaches me what things I can and cannot recycle. With vocations, I like that because it teaches me how to get a job, along with living on my own, writing checks, and many other important life activities as well,” said Brown.
Volunteering has been an important part of Brown’s life as he has volunteered at homeless shelters and other places, one of which includes Elderly at Rainbow Bridge (which is for people with terminal diseases), Habitat of Humanity, a homeless shelter, and the Women’s Bean Project, which is a place for women with cancer. “I volunteer at these places because I love to help people, and I want to make sure that people are okay and satisfied. While volunteering, I do a variety of things from serving food to cooking spaghetti, selling beans to raise money for a cure, or making art with sick people,” said Brown, who gets involved with the help from his mother, who makes a living by taking care of patients with disabilities. Brown has been inspired with helping those in need. “These have been great experiences for me, and it has made me decide that I want to help people for a living,” stated Brown.
When Brown is finished with high school, he wants to become a victim’s advocate. “I really enjoy helping people and I want to ensure the safety of others. I want to be a friend to everybody and let him or her know that I will be a true friend in his or her life. I want to see people happy and enjoying their lives,” said Brown, who demonstrated his determination of helping people when he went over to a classmate’s house who was struggling with making friends. Brown accompanied the student and let him know that he does have a friend at TJ, and that he is welcomed. “I wanted him to know that I care about him and that people are here for him,” said Brown.
For the upcoming summer, Brown will be working his first job at the South Flower Market, where his duties will consist of bagging groceries, and returning carts to the store. “I am very excited for this because I will have the opportunity to earn money and this will be a new experience for me. I know that this experience is going to make my summer full of great memories that I will never forget,” said Brown.
The person who inspires Brown the most in his life is his mother. “My mother is an organized person that does a great job at anything she does. She works hard at everything, and has taught me almost everything that I know. We have a very close mother-son relationship and she is my best friend. I can tell her anything and she gives me great advice when I need it. My mom has helped make me the person that I am today, and for that I am grateful,” stated Brown.
