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Sheyenne Javonne Brown

Biography

Profile: The day after Sheyenne Brown was notified by the Foundation that she had been selected as a member of the inaugural class of Graduate Arts Award recipients, her alma mater, Middlebury College, issued a news release which basically said it all:  “When word reached us early this month that Sheyenne Brown ’09 had been selected as one of 10 Jack Kent Cooke Graduate Arts Award Recipients, our excitement was matched only by a lack of surprise—anyone who has met, seen perform, or even heard of Sheyenne has expected big things of her.” A “natural” is how some describe Sheyenne – natural on stage, natural in dealing with colleagues, and naturally a great student.  A theatre major at Middlebury (where she attended on an academic scholarship), Sheyenne had a double minor in African American Studies and Sociology.  In the months since she picked up her diploma (with honors) she has been teaching 6^th grade Social Studies in Newark at TEAM Academy, a charter school in the KIPP education network.  But now, as Sheyenne’s goal is not only to become a professional actor, but to also continue to teach the subject which she truly loves, acting. 

Inspiration: Sheyenne named several mentors that have guided her path.  At Middlebury there was Dana Yeaton who encouraged Sheyenne to pursue her one woman show “A Colored Girl’s College Tour” as a thesis project; Shirley Collado, her mentor who provide Sheyenne with a source of strength, and Claudio Medeiros, her theatre professor “who told me that raw talent was never going to be enough.”

Aspiration: To pursue acting as a profession and become a teacher helping other actors.

Making a Difference: “My time teaching has proven to be one of the most pivotal times in my life.  On a regular basis, we tell our children that they can be anything they want to be, and here I was borderline settling for a profession I felt was safe and respectable.  Teaching is the hardest show I have ever had to put on because you are on 20 hours a day, 6 days a week, 220 days of the year.  I had to admit to myself that this was not what my soul meant when it told me it wanted to perform.  It took strength to walk away from something secure, but in doing so, I know I am giving my students a strong example of what it means to go after your passion, despite everything telling you not to.”

Accolades:  Sheyenne was awarded the Posse Foundation Leadership Scholarship and graduated Cum Laude from Middlebury. She was also a member of Teach for America Corps in 2009.

Interesting Fact: “When the weather is warm, I have been known to roller blade to work. And I'm an avid Golden Girls viewer!”

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