From his DJ sets at Career Services fashion shows to his black-and-gold jacket promoting Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Aldo Brown can literally be heard and seen nearly everywhere on campus. But when he first attended Roosevelt University, he intended to keep a low profile. A star defensive back football recruit from Kenwood Academy on Chicago’s South Side, Aldo initially wanted to excel on the team and earn a degree in cyber security. But once he spent time on campus, the student body and academic staff encouraged him to think beyond athletics and academics, and now Aldo has made an impact leading the University’s Black Student Union.
“I’m a bit surprised how involved and compelled to give back I’ve been over the years,” he says. “I originally came to keep my head down and study and commit to athletics, but the staff and students here encouraged me to be a leader and give back to the Black community in particular.”
After seeing a promotional flyer on campus, Aldo started attending leadership meetings for Roosevelt’s Black Student Union (BSU) and eventually began volunteering for campus events. After serving in various roles, he was eventually selected as president. Described by Aldo as an organization to “empower, uplift and advocate for all Black people on campus,” the BSU is one of Roosevelt’s most prominent student organizations and hosts popular events throughout the year. Thanks to Aldo’s leadership, notable events this academic year have included the Soul Food Social (which provided food and dancing before Thanksgiving break) and “Meet, Match and Play” (for Black students to play card games and find common interests outside the classroom). The BSU also moderates panels on Black Greek Life and hosts Black professional networking events so that students can develop Black professional connections before leaving college.
“I see from moderating these events that developing connections through Greek life and having a professional support system is really important,” he says. “The Black professional world is varied and helpful if you can tap into it, and I want to help as many Roosevelt students discover that.”
Aldo also credits his leadership roles to his improved confidence and focus as a student. “It’s definitely made me more organized,” he laughs. “Communicating with my leadership board and understanding the responsibility of many people looking to you for guidance has made me more conscientious about my interactions with people. And even more importantly, it’s great to see so many Black people in one place who are able to let their guard down and be their authentic selves.”
It’s also made him consider his trajectory after college. After working with the football training staff and taking a health class with Professor Michael Chapman, he realized his true passion was for coaching and guiding young athletes. Much like his BSU and Alpha Phi Alpha leadership roles, he wanted to mentor youth and see others succeed. Aldo now plans to graduate this May with a degree in Exercise, Nutrition and Health Science, with the intention to become a high school PE teacher and hopeful football coach.
“Taking these classes with Professor Chapman and enjoying the leadership roles with groups like BSU showed me I could pursue this as a career,” he says.
Aldo will receive his diploma this May with a mortar board decorated in Alpha Phi Alpha’s signature black-and-gold color scheme, and he will depart Roosevelt after making a transformational mark on the Black Student Union. He also be prepared to excel with the professional network and leadership skills he developed through Roosevelt’s incredible student resources.
