English alumna Mishalynn Brown is an FSU Unconquered Scholar

By Codi Toney

Mishalynn Brown is a tenacious and accomplished recent Florida State University graduate from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, who charted a unique academic and personal growth trajectory. Her journey took a significant turn in 2020, when she embarked on a transformative path through FSU’s Center for Academic Retention & Enhancement, which proved to be a testament to her resilience and adaptability.

Brown graduated from FSU at the end of the Spring 2024 semester as a dual major in English-Creative Writing and in Communication and Digital Media Studies. FSU and CARE honored Brown’s perseverance throughout her college career on April 8 at the annual Unconquered Scholars Program Awareness Banquet, which celebrated those in the program and their supporters. She was one of 37 students who earned the recognition.

Brown says she has had wonderful experiences and encouraging relationships as a CARE student. She participated in several TAKE CARE activities, such as a fun Thanksgiving event, where she enjoyed creating cards and mingling with others. Brown says the CARE advisors’ accessibility to answer her questions was invaluable, as she navigated life at university without the support of her parents.

She appreciated the CARE staff's readiness to assist her in maintaining a secure housing arrangement, which she says is evidence of their sincere concern and dedication to the academic achievement of their students.

Because of her love of telling stories, Brown made the obvious choice to study creative writing for one of her majors. She understands how necessary knowledge is in the modern world, especially considering how information flow is controlled by social media and television. She intends to use her writing and communication skills to tell stories, particularly the ones that are frequently forgotten or overlooked.

Thanks to her education, Brown now knows more about literary devices and is a more frequent and skilled writer. She is especially proud of her work at FSU, where she developed her voice and realized her creative purpose. In 2022, Brown’s #OscarsSoWhite multimedia presentation was part of the FSU Digital Studio’s Digital Symposium. The Symposium is a showcase of scholarship, coursework, and pedagogy created within FSU’s English department that features students’ digital artifacts.

Although Brown did not have a specific academic mentor, several teachers made an impact on her college career. Robert O. Lawton Distinguished Professor of English Maxine Montgomery affected Brown’s studies in a positive way, she says, and the advice and expertise other professors and teaching assistants offered positively influenced Brown’s approach to writing and media creation.

Brown says she faced personal obstacles during her first year at FSU, including the death of a close friend, which led to her becoming more financially and socially isolated from her family. Despite these challenges, Brown found motivation to take care of herself, follow her love for the English major, and commit to earning her degree. She acknowledges that this trying time in her life strengthened her resolve to meet her academic objectives and to maximize her future goals.

In addition to the Unconquered Scholars Award, Brown is also the recipient of the Eric D. and Sarin E. Abati Endowed Scholarship and the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship. The Gilman Scholarship allowed her to study abroad in the summer of 2023, an experience that further fueled Brown’s academic interests.

Reflecting on her time in the CARE Program, Brown stresses the value of asking for assistance, saying that seeking help from others is advantageous on a practical and mental level, especially for matters unrelated to college. She could focus on her studies because of the support she received from the CARE staff, which she says highlights the program's benefits beyond academics.

In addition to the Unconquered Scholars Award, Brown is also the recipient of the Eric D. and Sarin E. Abati Endowed Scholarship and the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship. The Gilman Scholarship allowed her to study abroad in the summer of 2023, an experience that further fueled Brown’s academic interests.

Brown’s two consecutive years of Dean's List placement in 2021 and 2022 and her recognition on the President's List in 2023 are both academic achievements and milestones in her personal growth and development. They testify to Brown’s persistent dedication to her academics and unwavering pursuit of excellence.

Now that she has graduated from FSU, Brown is actively looking for editorial or video production internships as she prepares for life after college. Her ultimate objective is to land a position as a writer or photographer for a Tallahassee-based publication. Her love of media and narrative motivates her, and she is excited to use the abilities and information she has acquired at FSU to further her career aspirations.

Brown's path at FSU shows her perseverance, commitment, and love for learning. She knows that her dual degrees and her involvement in the CARE program have given her the skills necessary to thrive and leave a lasting impression on the media and storytelling landscape.

With her focus on the future, Brown says she is ready to carry on with the same tenacity and zeal that have carried her this far and brought her recognition as an Unconquered Scholar.

Codi Toney will graduate from FSU at the end of the Summer 2024 semester with her Bachelor of Arts degree and a minor in history. Read more about Codi here.

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