DURHAM-Many seniors at UNH may have been keeping their fingers crossed for a famous talent from Hollywood to top last year's high profile keynote speakers. While a face from Tinsel Town will not be visiting UNH this year, university administrators feel they have found an ideal speaker in City Year co-founder Michael Brown.
While Brown may be unknown to many UNH students, he has spent the last 20 years of his life dedicated to bettering the lives of others. A Harvard University and Harvard Law School graduate, Brown co-founded a youth service group called City Year in 1988. The program brings together over 1,400 people each year, ranging in age from 17 to 24, to commit to one year of full-time community service, which includes leadership development and civic engagement. City Year has many locations throughout the United States and South Africa, and even has one location in Stratham, N.H.
Brown said that he is someone who is inspired by the power of young people, and that he plans on sharing part of his own life story to explain how he got into his line of work.
"I'm just honored to have the opportunity to talk about the tremendous role that young people can have in making change in society," said Brown.
The keynote speaker is selected through the Honorary Degrees and Granite State Awards Committee. Anyone can submit nominations to the committee, and then the committee makes recommendations based on outstanding academic, professional and civic achievement to the president and the Board of Trustees for approval.
Susan Entz, director of presidential events and programs at UNH, said that Brown was the school's first choice, and that President Mark Huddleston wanted to send an important message to the students on the theme of giving back to the society.
"It was important to find someone to give an inspiring message to the students and Michael Brown was a perfect fit," said Entz.
Allison Franklin, the communications director for City Year, said that Brown is extremely honored and excited to come speak at UNH. She says Brown is planning on making several visits to the campus before graduation to get to know some of the students.
"There's nothing Michael Brown likes more than speaking with young people about their dreams for the future, and how they will pursue them," said Franklin.
Brown, who has touched the lives of many, has changed the life of one of our own students here at UNH through City Year. Bryan Dwyer left school not knowing what to do with his life and joined City Year for two years. From his time with the program, Dwyer learned what he wanted to do with his life, and fully credits City Year.
"City Year helped me figure out what I wanted to do, which is community work," said Dwyer.
Dwyer has since graduated from the Thompson School, and is now working on graduating from UNH next year.
As wonderful as Brown may be, many students have never heard of him before and are unaware of what Brown does with his time.
Liz North, a UNH senior and member of the community service fraternity Alpha Phi Omega, said that she had never heard of Brown or City Year, but that she hopes he is good.
"I was hoping for Adam Sandler," said North.
Morgan Eastman, a UNH senior and a fellow member of APO said that what little she did know of Brown sounds great, but last year's speakers set a hard act to follow. However, Eastman said that she has spent a lot of time doing community service, and knows the hard work and effort that goes into it.
"I think the senior class is bummed it's not someone from Hollywood, but we can relate to [Brown] because he is a real-life, tangible human being and someone that we can understand," said Eastman.
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