Brown, a member of the Michigan Army National Guard, recently came back to his alma mater to perform the national anthem at the men’s and women’s basketball games Nov. 8.
Michigan Army National Guard Sgt. 1st Class Tim Brown took his Ocelot Pride to one of the most unlikely places on the planet several years back: Guantanamo Bay Naval Base.
Brown, a Schoolcraft College alumnus, was deployed at the United States military base in Cuba when he heard they were hosting a college fair. Wanting to share his positive experience, he reached out to the Veterans Center for some swag. He set up a display and represented Schoolcraft College to his fellow soldiers, telling them about the wonderful programs in areas such as business the College offered.
“I emailed the Veterans Center and I was like ‘Hey, they’re doing a college fair, and I would like to represent Schoolcraft,’” he said. “So, they sent a bunch of T-shirts.”
Brown’s love for Schoolcraft College has lasted for years, and he recently got another way to showcase his affection for his alma mater: he returned to campus to sing the national anthem before the men’s and women’s basketball games Nov. 8 against Clark State College, a fitting honor just days before Veterans Day.
A longtime musician, Brown found himself singing beginning in elementary school. While attending Southfield-Lathrup High School, he earned two varsity letters for musical performance. But then graduation came, and Brown wasn’t sure what his future would look like. So, he enlisted, first joining the Air Force in active duty and later in the Michigan Army National Guard. Since then, he’s risen in rank and become a platoon sergeant, overseeing soldiers and participating in several deployments to places such as Afghanistan, Lebanon and more.
After spending time in the service, Brown began to explore options for higher education. After initially enrolling at another institution, he decided he needed a change of scenery. Brown had heard about the Homeland Security program at Schoolcraft College and decided to transfer.
Here, he utilized the Veterans Center and enrolled in classes. He graduated with two associate degrees: one in Homeland Security and another in criminal justice. Utilizing his education, Brown currently works for the Michigan Department of Corrections, a position he thoroughly enjoys.
He said the center played a major role in helping him adjust to life as a student, rather than life as a soldier. “It is so hard to come back from an active war zone to home. That adjustment is extremely hard,” Brown said. “I needed the structure. I needed the support. I needed Pam to tell me, ‘This is what it is, this is what I recommend.’”
Brown still makes time to visit campus, popping in to say hello to the current staff of the Veterans Center. Brent Landau, executive director of the Veterans Center, said Brown is always welcome.
“It’s always a pleasure to see Tim stop by and offer support for anything he may need,” Landau said. “He is just one of many veterans we’ve served that have gone on to do incredible work, and we’re happy to have played a role in assisting in his education.”
Despite joining the workforce, Brown has never let the music go. He’s had the opportunity to perform at a handful of military events, and even large-scale sporting events: he performed the National Anthem at a Great Lakes Loons minor league baseball game on the Fourth of July in Midland, and at a Detroit Tigers game on Juneteenth this summer, an experience Brown will never forget.
“That was awesome. It was electric,” Brown said. “Everybody was extremely nice.”
Education continues to play a role in Brown’s life: he is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Purdue University and hopes to complete it next year.
His advice to fellow veterans looking to earn their degree? Stay locked in.
“Block out the noise and focus on the mission,” Brown said. “The mission here is to learn and to graduate so we can take what we learned and apply it to a profession outside.”
