THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, June 19, 1996 TAG: 9606180104
SECTION: ISLE OF WIGHT CITIZEN PAGE: 08 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Education
SOURCE: BY LINDA McNATT, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: SMITHFIELD LENGTH: 72 lines
SENIORS GRADUATING FROM Smithfield High School last week garnered more than $300,000 in scholarship offers.
More than half went to one graduate - James Brown III, a quiet, relatively shy young man who can't quiet explain it. But certainly, like his namesake in the entertainment world - he feels good!
``I don't know,'' he said, grinning as he talked about his good fortune. ``Just lucky, I guess.''
For as long as he can remember, Brown said, his dad has encouraged him to attend his own alma mater, Howard University in Washington, D.C.
James Brown Jr., who works for the government and is a School Board member representing the Smithfield District, graduated from Howard with a degree in engineering. And although his son decided early-on that he would follow in his father's footsteps as far as a career choice, the younger Brown, until recently, was still undecided about the college he'd attend.
``I wanted to go to a historically black college,'' he said. ``I've been to summer engineering programs at North Carolina A&T State University and at Howard. I was at Howard last summer in a program sponsored jointly by Ohio University and the University of Maryland at College Park. That's when I decided I really liked the campus at Howard, and I like the program the school has to offer.''
A $38,000 scholarship offered recently by Howard helped to confirm Brown's decision.
But that's not the only scholarship he was offered. The list is a long one.
North Carolina A&T offered $20,000. Tuskegee University in Alabama was willing to give him $17,000 in scholarship funds, if he chose that school. Norfolk State University, closer to home, honored Brown with the DNIMAS Scholarship, a program for minority students working on a degree in applied sciences that guarantees full tuition, books, room and board, even a personal computer. Brown also was offered $12,000 from Chowan.
In addition, he received Main Street Baptist Church's Charles Henry Gray Scholarship amounting to $1,000. He'll get a $150 a month stipend as long as he's in school from the JRROTC, of which he's been a member for two years at Smithfield High.
Omega Psi Phi Fraternity has given him $1,000. He also got $500 from the Smithfield High PTA; $200 from the Champegnette Social Club; $200 from the DochiKi Club.
Brown, an honor graduate, placed 26th in his class. That isn't overwhelming academically, but he must have bowled somebody over when he took his SATs.
``The first time I took my SATs, I really didn't do great,'' he said. ``Then, I took them again last October. I must have done significantly better.''
That's when the letters from colleges all over the United States came rolling in, Brown said. Hardly a day passed that he didn't have mail from one college or another inviting him to attend that school.
``It was a steady flow of letters; I know that,'' he said, chuckling.
Brown's father is a civil engineer. He designs boats for the U.S. Navy. The younger Brown has decided he wants to design roadways and bridges.
He'll take advantage of the ROTC program, he said, because it would require spending only three years on active duty in the U.S. Army or seven years in the reserves.
``And that means, right after college, I'll have a job guaranteed in my field,'' he said.
And now that Brown has made all of the decisions that his dad historically has encouraged him to make, there are some misgivings on the part of the senior engineer.
``After I made the decision, I don't think my dad wanted me to go,'' Brown said. ``I think he's concerned for my safety in a place like Washington. But I feel now that Howard is the best choice.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo by LINDA McNATT
James Brown has been offered more than $150,000 in scholarships. by CNB