After earning his master’s in higher education administration at the NC State College of Education, Gary Brown ’05MED has gone on to serve in a number of leadership roles in the UNC System, most recently as the vice chancellor and chief of staff at North Carolina Central University.

“My time within the program has really propelled me to a lot of the things that I’ve been able to accomplish in my career,” Brown said. 

The following interview has been edited for length and clarity.

On Why I Chose Education: 

I see education as an opportunity to invest in the generations that are coming behind me, and a way we can equip people to make a difference in the communities in which they reside, which is something that’s close to my heart.

I believe deep in my heart that everyone is created with a purpose, and that purpose is to make the world a better place. I don’t know that that happens in any better way than within an educational setting. We have such a great opportunity to help to shape the perspectives of students who will go out and do some amazing things,

On How Education Shaped Me:

Everything I do is seeded in education. Certainly, education has afforded me a lot of opportunity, and I have seen it afford my family some great opportunities as well. Both of my parents are educators, and it’s been the lifeblood of our family.

On What I Enjoyed the Most About My Time with NC State’s College of Education:

The faculty were really available in terms of supporting students. I really enjoyed the interactions with them, and I certainly enjoyed my classmates, the cohort of students who were a part of the program at the same time, some of them who I am still connected to.

On What Others Should Know about NC State’s College of Education: 

If they want to not just learn theory, but actually apply that in a practical way, they should go to NC State. My experience there was that faculty truly cared about our outcomes. They weren’t just trying to get us a degree. They were really working diligently to prepare us for careers that would hopefully be long and successful. 

I don’t think that there’s a better choice within the state or within the nation, to be quite honest, to prepare them for a career in higher education.

On the Last Thing That Inspired Me:

As has been my practice at every role that I’ve ever had, I ask students why they chose this institution. What inspires me is to hear not just their love for the institution, but about the individuals who are supporting them back at home and the communities that they’re coming from: the younger siblings they have who are looking up to them, or their moms, dads, aunties, uncles, grandmothers, who have sacrificed to ensure that they have an opportunity to pursue their education. 

I want to ensure that our students garner a return on their investment, because that investment far exceeds just their time here. It also includes the investment that people are making back at home, the sacrifices that those people are making because they know that the investment they make in their students is going to pay dividends for their families. Education is an opportunity for folks to enhance their lives.