Tatyana Brown, 21, from Garland, is the second NYU Abu Dhabi recipient of the Truman Scholarship in six years. This fellowship (named after the 33rd U.S. president) is for students pursuing careers in public service.
Background
She attended the School for the Talented and Gifted Magnet in Dallas. During her three years at NYUAD, Brown has spearheaded initiatives including co-founding and directing AZIZA, a community organization for Black women in Abu Dhabi. Through AZIZA, she helped build some of the first data pools, networks and resources by and for local Black women. She then, along with the growing AZIZA Team, hosted 25 events uniting over 130 global Black women and 400 allies. She will graduate from NYUAD in 2022.
Future plans
As a Truman Scholar, she hopes to intern with the 2021 Washington Summer Institute. She plans to join a Black Feminist mutual aid organization improving survival conditions for Black mothers and caregivers. This opportunity will expose her to a network of community organizers fighting systemic injustice.
Brown plans to pursue a Master of Arts in Africana Studies with a certificate in Gender Studies to explore deeper into international Black feminisms and a Master of Social Work to gain the skills that marry that context with community work. As an organizer and artist, she plans to continue traveling to learn from the local wisdom of marginalized communities and “dream and scheme” with them about building a life-affirming world.
Her dream for the future is to use her travels to connect a global network of mutual aid organizations uplifting Black women and gender marginalized people. The larger intention: inspiring waves of global political consciousness that undo harmful systems through art, healing and people-powered projects.
Announcement
Brown learned she had been selected in a video conference with NYUAD Vice Chancellor Mariet Westermann and Director of Global Awards Doug Cutchins. She is one of 62 new Truman Scholars selected from 845 candidates. Brown was recommended based on academic and leadership skills. Additionally, she was chosen for her outstanding potential to become a public service leader.
She was thrilled to hear the news. Celebratory laughter and screams from Brown and her friends evidenced her excitement.
“The Truman Scholarship is an incredibly competitive process and we are just so delighted for you, Westermann said. “This is truly your accomplishment and your achievement.”
“I’ve been thinking so much about what to do next,” Brown said. “How do I make sure that everything happening in my life is honored with what I do for everybody else that I meet.”
Cutchins was also delighted that Brown had been selected.
“…You are very deserving of this, Tatyana. Your work on our campus, your work as a leader, what you mean to the people at this school, the people in your community, the leadership you’ve shown, your deep commitment to public service,” he said. “You and I first met before…you came to Abu Dhabi. I could see from the start that you were an absolute rock star and I am just so, so, so pleased that all of your incredible hard work and persistence paid off.”
Brown’s advice to other students who want to be leaders and serve their community is:
“Truth above all else and love as an ethic will get you everywhere. I really believe in that…Love can really move you through the things you don’t understand and can move you to reconciliation and to justice.”