THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, June 12, 1996 TAG: 9606110172
SECTION: ISLE OF WIGHT CITIZEN PAGE: 09 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY LINDA McNATT, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: WINDSOR LENGTH: 88 lines
When Judy Brown was growing up, her father, a farmer, was always complaining because he couldn't find his tractor.
That's because his daughter was tooling down the highway on it, going wherever she needed to be.
``I didn't even get my driver's license until I was almost 18,'' Brown said, laughing. ``I would rather drive the tractor.''
Brown has always had a reputation for doing things her own way. Maybe that's why she worked her way up the ladder of success and ascended to the position of vice president of a small but thriving independent bank. Then, she decided to get a college degree.
Brown graduated with honors from Paul D. Camp Community College May 10, with an associate degree in business administration. A week later, she turned 50.
``I felt so good at my graduation because I had my whole family there,'' she said. ``My dad has passed on, but my mother was there, my husband, my daughter, son-in-law and my grandson. I wonder how many graduates had such a family?''
Brown and her husband, William E. ``Billy'' Brown, a contractor, went on vacation the week after she graduated. When she came home to Windsor, she said, signs wishing her a happy 50th birthday decorated the roadway.
``I had a goal of having at least one college degree before I turned 50,'' she said. ``And I did it.''
Brown, who grew up on her parents' farm near Walters, graduated from Windsor High School in 1964.
She started working for the Virginia Department of Agriculture straight out of high school and went through a series of five different jobs before she settled at the Farmers Bank of Windsor.
There were only five other employees at the small bank when Brown first started working in the bookkeeping department. From that department, she moved through the ranks. She was a teller, a drive-through teller. She was head teller, head bookkeeper, cashier.
``There are very few things in the bank I haven't done,'' she said. ``I was assistant cashier in 1976. At that time, there were about four officers of the bank.''
Through all of the years she worked at the bank, Brown took advantage of every opportunity to take banking classes through the American Institute of Banking. She also took time during those years to get married and to have her only child, Cynthia. Cynthia, today, is 27, married to Troy Robertson. The couple have a 2-year-old son, Hunter Clay.
Five years ago, Brown was appointed vice president of Farmers Bank.
``I'm the person who does everything backwards a lot of times,'' she said, laughing. ``As soon as my daughter graduated from Christopher Newport University, I knew it was time for me to start thinking about college, and my daughter, who knew I'd always wanted to go back to school, encouraged it.''
Brown started by looking at all the colleges in the area. Two and a half years ago, she enrolled at Paul D. Camp, where she found the officials and professors helpful and supportive. She'd been out of school by then for 30 years.
``I had never taken a foreign language,'' she said. ``Spanish was overwhelming!''
Brown continued to work full time at the bank, took all of her classes at night.
``I'd go home, fix dinner for my husband, and take off to school. I usually had fruit or a candy bar for dinner.''
Through it all, Brown said she was supported by her 77-year-old mother, Gertrude Duck, her husband, daughter and friends. Still, she couldn't help but hear others who frequently asked: ``You're the vice president of a bank. What more could you want?''
She wanted the degree, Brown said, for herself.
``I did it for Judy,'' she said. ``Education is so important. It has a tremendous impact. I don't care what kind of job you have, you must continuously read and learn. In the fall of 1995, I was chosen to represent Camp when the College of William and Mary hosted the Virginia Honors Institute. There were only about 150 students from across the state. It was a real honor.''
After a hiatus from education for about six months, just to take a break, Brown plans to enter Christopher Newport University in January to begin working on her bachelor's degree in business administration.
Because she worked so hard on her education and worked so hard at planning it, she'll take more credits with her to CNU than most two-year students.
She's confident now that the second phase of her education that has spanned more than 30 years will be as easy as - well, as easy as tooling down Walters highway on a tractor.
``It's something I've got to do for me,'' she said. ``It's so important.'' ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by MICHAEL KESTNER
Judy Brown, vice president of Farmers Bank of Windsor, graduated
with honors from Paul D. Camp Community College May 10. by CNB