The Road to Success

By Renee Batchelor and Lynnese Bland
Fayetteville State University Sports Information Student Assistants

Schavonne Brown's "Lady Speed Stick HBCU Sportswoman of the Year" story is unique. The saying "the road to success is always under construction" is a lesson all student athletes can learn from her. Considering what she has accomplished and the hardship she encountered as she traveled the bumpy highway, Schavonne has run into some major potholes along the way. One pothole, she soon learned was the person closest to her.

Schavonne Brown

At age 11, Schavonne's mother informed her that she was a drug addict. For an adolescent, this was a hard pill to swallow but this set back did nothing to weaken their relationship. The relationship she had with her mother was more sisterly than that of a mother and daughter.

At age 13, another pothole sidetracked her when her father died. When she entered high school, she was forever in trouble for fighting and getting caught at other mischievous endeavors. Given her circumstances no one would have given her a chance to succeed. As she started on her life's journey, she could have taken the wrong detour and ended up as another problem youth, but she was determined to do better.

She could have avoided seeking an education but she stayed with it, and in 1998 won the CIAA Volleyball Tournament "Most Valuable Player Award." As a basketball player, she was the starting center and captain of a basketball team that reached the 1999 CIAA finals while maintaining better than a 3.5 cumulative grade point average during her athletic career.

She recently graduated Magna Cum Laude for her academic efforts. She was presented with the inaugural "Lady Speed Stick HBCU Sportswoman of the Year Award," December 19. 1999, for outstanding achievements in athletics, academics, and for embracing the community and civic needs.

"I always knew I wanted to do something with my life," said Schavonne "I always contradicted everything I saw." She was raised by aunts, uncles, and grandparents in Glen Cove, NY. After high school, she enrolled in Mohawk Valley Community College and was a standout in the athletic arena. Through. the efforts of Coach Eric Tucker and Elorine Hill, she found her way to Fayetteville State University.

Schavonne admits that sports was an outlet for her pent-up anger and frustration that a broken home can cause. An average day for Schavonne was going to school, work, and home. "I felt like I could contribute something on the field or on the court but I did not know what," Brown said. "Since I was contributing on the court, it kept me off the street," As a Lady Bronco, Schavonne exhibited an incredible work ethic in the athletic arena and in the classroom. She volunteered time with youth growing up under similar conditions as her own and she wanted to be a role model for them.

"Someone out there probably had it rougher than I did," Schavonne said. "I just hope that what I have done is an inspiration to that person. Besides getting an education and improving herself, she wanted to set an example for her younger cousins and her two younger sisters. With a smile, she stated she has filled some potholes for them. She hopes that they can see the light at the end of the tunnel. "The window of opportunity is open for them," she said.

Schavonne wants to continue her criminal justice career by attending graduate school at Ohio State University. The only potholes in her way are the cold Ohio winters and no one will blame her if she turns around. Schavonne is an exemplary example for the student athletes as she has proven that success can be found in cans, "I can, I can!"

Schavonne's lists of athletic and academic accomplishments are many. In 1997 she was a member of the CIAA Volleyball All-Tournament Team, named to the 1999 CIAA Volleyball All-Conference Volleyball Team, and captain of the 1998 CIAA Championship Volleyball team. However her achievements did not stop when the cheering ended.

She was presented with the 1999 Chancellor's Award of Merit, selected a United States Academic Academy (USAA) All-American Scholar, member of the 1999 CIAA Commissioners' All-Academic Team, nominated for the NCAA Women of the Year Award, and received the Arthur Ashe, Jr. Sports Scholar Award in two sports (Volleyball and basketball).

Her commitment to the community reflects the meaning of the awards she has been presented. She has given time to the Rocky Mount NC Boys and Girls Club Basketball Skills Camp, volunteered as a mentor to the Cumberland County Law Enforcement Center's First Time Offender Program, and the Fayetteville Parks and Recreation After School Program. She has also served as a counselor to Fayetteville Salvation Army's Youth Program, and was a member of the Cumberland County Special Olympic Fund Raising Committee.