The Mayor recognizes Sophomore Cymone Brown for her can-do attitude in and outside of school.
Cymone Brown airbrushing in art class. Photo by Ed Gloor
Cymone Brown came to Thomas Jefferson her sophomore year and already has made an impact. “I was notified that I won the Mile High Scholar the week before Spring Break,” said Brown. “I got a letter in the mail telling me about the award, and when I opened it I started to cry.” Excited for the event that took place on April 5, 2012, Brown bought a new dress, did her nails, and even got to take half the day off from school to get her hair done.
In order to receive such an award, Brown had to have her GPA at a 3.5 or higher, be a good citizen, and—as Brown says—try and better the TJ Community. Brown does her part for the community by being part of the Be The Change Club. “I joined this club because I have a lot of experience with being bullied,” said Brown. With this club Brown has helped put on events like Challenge Day. “That was a very good day for TJ. I saw a lot of people crying and sharing feelings, and it was very effective.” She says that the club meets every other Wednesday and she plans on going for the rest of her TJ career.
Brown also takes part in activities outside of school that help benefit her. “I started doing Tae Kwon Do about two years ago,” said Brown. “My mother got me in this sport so I could work on my coordination skills. I decided to stick with this because I have tried other sports but didn’t like them as much.” Brown says that she practices Tae Kwon Do three days per week for an hour and fifteen minutes each time, and when not at the gym she is practicing at home. “The best part for me about doing Tae Kwon Do is that it has taught me to never give up on myself.”
Being strong-willed in Tae Kwon Do has also rubbed off onto Brown’s passion to design clothes. “I started making drawings of clothes about three years ago,” said Brown. “I would say that my clothes I design have a rocker style to them and are really fun.” Brown hopes that she can fulfill her dreams to be a designer by going to college at either a Community College or a Christian Community College.
Even with all these activities going on, Brown still knows where her heart belongs: at home. “My biggest role models are my parents and my Nana,” said Brown. “I look up to them because they all have been through so much, but through it all they never give up.” Brown says that having her parents and Nana around has taught her to try her best in her school-work, and to never give up.
“One of my favorite memories from my childhood is going to my Granddad and Nana’s house,” said Brown. “During the summer my two brothers and I would go down to their house in South Carolina. We would spend our time going shopping, playing games and –my favorite—telling scary bedtime stories every night. I remember one night I told such a good scary story that I made my cousin cry!” Brown says that due to financial issues in the family, her and her brothers no longer spend their summers with her grandparents, but they still see them on occasion.
Brown tries her hardest to give back to her community as much as possible but also manages to make time to do a sport she loves, Tae Kwon Do. Winning the Mile High Scholar Award was a big deal, says Brown, and it reminds her she is doing the right thing. “If you can dream it you can do it,” said Brown. “I like this saying because it tells me I can do anything I put my mind to; I even have a sign hanging in my room to remind me.”
