By Je’Don Holloway-Talley
For The Birmingham Times
With parents who emphasize community service and making a difference, it’s not something that’s been hard for Nia Brown to follow.
Brown has a 4.235 GPA and is involved in a number of extracurricular activities including elected in March to be the first African American female Student Government Association (SGA) president at Hoover High School just outside of Birmingham and began her term this semester, a historic achievement she proudly embraces.
“I want to leave Hoover better than it was. Hoover is already an amazing place, but I want my impact to make it better for the people coming behind me,” she said.
Brown attributes her drive to her parents, Dr. Khalilah Brown M.D., who serves as the Vice President of Medical Affairs at Southern Research, and her father, Booker Brown, who works as a case management leader for ATI Physical Therapy and covers its southeast division.
“My parents are big on being a leader, especially in my community, and making a difference,” said the 17-year-old senior. “They want me to give 110 percent in everything that I do.” Her parents emphasize leading by example and service, values that have clearly shaped Nia’s approach to leadership.
Her dad said, “Nia always says she has her tribe, and that’s the family. Everybody has pitched in to help get Nia where she is, it’s not just me and my wife, or her sister, it’s literally both sides of the family … helping elevate our kids because we understand that they are the future of the family, and we have to invest in them.”
Her mom added, “We have always told Nia that the best leaders understand how to lead by example and through service. Nia has a natural and genuine empathy for people which has allowed her to put that advice to work in a way that her peers respond to. The goal is always to leave a place better than you found it. When you truly focus on people and purpose success is sure to follow.”
Inspirations
Nia is also inspired by her sister, Imani Lewis, 30, who attended North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University (NCATSU) and has a degree in bio-medical engineering and works for the U.S. military as a mechanical engineer.
“I’ve always been impressed about how smart my sister is, she’s accomplished so much, and she inspires me to do the same,” Brown said. “She strives to be the best at everything she does and wants to make the world a better place … “
The SGA president stays abreast of current affairs and has been following news about this year’s presidential election. She witnessed history on the national level when Vice President Kamala Harris became the first woman, Black person, and person of South Asian descent nominated for U.S. President.
“My mom’s friend went to the [Democratic National Convention (DNC), which was held in in Chicago, Illinois, August 19–22], and brought me back some Kamala Harris merch. I’m really excited to represent her by wearing it,” said Brown.
“I was very surprised when [President] Joe Biden dropped out and nominated [Harris]. … If she wins [in November], I think it’s definitely a change that we as a country need to see,” she said.
Giving Back
The Brown family spends their holidays giving back to the community.
“We have a Christmas family service project that we do on my dad’s side of the family. We collect essential items for the homeless and hand them out on Christmas Eve,” said Nia Brown.
Speaking of the holidays, some of her favorite memories are centered around spending time with her extended family, traveling from Hoover to Huntsville, her mother’s native city, and Atlanta, where they visit numerous family members on both sides, from aunts and uncles to grandparents, and her sister. Her father is an Irondale native.
“My parents are very intentional about seeing both sides of the family. If we spend Thanksgiving with my mom’s side, we’ll spend Christmas with my dad’s side. My mom’s side is a lot bigger so most of my favorite memories with my family is with my mom’s side because I have so many cousins because she has a lot of siblings.”
Nia especially enjoys her family’s Disney cruises. “We’ve been on four Disney cruises, I’m obsessed with everything Disney… it’s the most fun ever,” she said.
Each cruise has had its own experiences, she said. “I’ve gone at so many different ages, so there’s something different each time… When I was younger my parents would drop me off at the kids’ club and I would have so much fun that I wouldn’t want to come back for dinner. But the last one I went on was two years ago during Christmas with my family and I thought I wasn’t gonna have any fun, but I made so many friends that I still have to this day, and they live all around the world,” Brown said.
