Qadriyyah Brown – Educational Opportunity Fund: Their Door Was Always Open
Qadriyyah Brown gets filled with gratitude and emotion when she talks about the positive influence the Caldwell College Educational Opportunity Fund program ( EOF) office has had on her college experience. A 2009 graduate with a B.A. in Communication Arts, Qadriyyah says the staff in the EOF office did more than just help her get grant money for college, they also gave her advice and moral support. "Their door was always open."
EOF is a state-supported program that provides access to higher education for economically and educationally disadvantaged students. Raised by her mother and maternal grandmother after her father died when she was 13 months old, Brown is proud that she is the first generation in her family to receive an undergraduate degree. A transfer student and a commuter from Maplewood, New Jersey, she worked hard to get good grades in college and she says she will put that work ethic to good use in her career life too. "I learned how to deal with stress. Being on time for class will prepare me for the working world. I have also become more outgoing, thanks to friends, faculty and family."
Brown received a host of honor awards her senior year including the EOF Outstanding Academic Achievement Award for Caldwell College from the State of New Jersey and the EOF Highest GPA of her senior class. She was inducted into Delta Epsilom Sigma, the national scholastic honor society and was chosen for the Caldwell Scholars Program, a nationally recognized program that provides intellectual enrichment and scholarships for top honor students. Her senior year scholars research project was entitled Reel vs. Real – Hollywood's Portrayal of WWII Soliders and Veterans in Post WWII films 1945-1960.
During her college years, Brown took advantage of many of the opportunities Caldwell provides for students. She was Vice President of the Women's Business Organization (WBO) and Student Government Association representative for the WBO. She also had a work-study position in the Communication Arts Department. One of her favorite experiences at Caldwell was going on the Campus Ministry Alternative Spring Break trip to Appalachia where students rebuilt homes for the rural poor. "The families kept telling us that by our presence we gave them faith, but they gave us faith too." Because she had such a great experience Qadriyyah would like to volunteer for Big Sisters in Newark and she says other students came back feeling the same way—wanting to reach out and put more community service activity into their lives. She has also mentored other students in EOF and was a tutor in the writing center and tried to give students more than just tutoring advice. "I tried to listen," and she would say things to the students like "don't stay up as late".
She has set her sights on pursuing a career in music production or directing, but wherever her career path leads one thing is for sure, she is already a proud alumna. "I enjoyed being at Caldwell College. I always wear my sweatshirt. It feels good to tell people I went to Caldwell College. Their eyes light up. They smile."