Ms. Brown Earns March EOM Recognition

February Employee of the Month: Ms. Afrodesia Brown, Special Education Department

Congratulations%2C+March+Employee+of+the+Month%2C+Ms.+Afrodesia+Brown

Photo by: Marisa Ruotolo

Congratulations, March Employee of the Month, Ms. Afrodesia Brown

Congratulations to the March Employee of the Month, Ms. Afrodesia Brown, who was recently recognized for her outstanding contributions to the Midlothian High School Special Education Department.

What do you teach at Midlothian High?

I’m an Instructional Assistant in the Special Education Department for Students with High Functioning Autism.

How long have you been doing so?

I have been doing this for about 8 years.

What’s your favorite part about your job?

My favorite part is seeing the students’ transition into adulthood.  Whether it be college or the workforce. I sometimes run into them outside of school, and we speak for a few minutes.  I’m amazed how they’ve grown and love to see them embrace being independent, despite having obstacles they’ve encountered along the way.

Why did you choose this occupation? 

Honestly, it was by word of mouth through a former teacher who has now retired.  The school year had started, and they needed an Instructional Assistant, and at the time, I was looking for employment.  Since then, I just kept coming back.

Where did you go to college?

Right now, I attend John Tyler Community College and will graduate this May.  I will have an AAS in Human Services and a CSC in Bereavement and Grief Counseling.  In the fall, I will attend Mary Baldwin University, VCU, or University of Richmond to pursue a degree in Pre-Social Work.

What do you like to do for fun?

I enjoy going to the movies or going on nature walks with my 11 year old.

If you had a million dollars, what would you do?

I would give 10% to the church to assist kids who are less fortunate to allow them the opportunity to go on mission trips to see how other cultures live, pay off any bills I have, put $100,00 into a CD account for each of my sons, and allow it to mature over a period of 5 to 10 years.  [I would] invest $50,000 into two companies, so when I retire, I don’t have to worry about working, spend $10,000 on a vacation for myself and two sons to Disney World, Hawaii, and eventually India the following year, buy a home on the outskirts of New York, give my sister and little brother $20,000 apiece as a down payment on a home, give $15,000 to the Cancer Institute, since most of my family passed away from that, [and] everything else would go in savings.