Makayla and Mariah Brown happen to be sisters, alumnae, past Youth of the Year's, and Sullivan Tire & Auto Service Scholarship recipients! In 2019, they took the stage and shared their stories of impact of our programs at the Great Futures Gala! To these sisters, the Brockton Club signifies family. They have both gone on to their Great Futures, but the Club is never forgotten for either sister.
Makayla and Mariah currently own a 3,000 sq ft event venue together known as Upscale Experience Venue located in Peachtree, City GA. Outside of their business venture they are both still pursuing their own career paths. Makayla is currently working and plans on attending Georgia State University School of Law in the Fall 2024. Mariah is currently working and going to school full time attending Boston University for her Masters in Education specializing in Special Education Moderate Disabilities. She will continue her education in a PHD program to help further her research in the education/disabilities field.
Makayla
“Growing up at the Boys and Girls Club with siblings was both interesting and comforting! When Mariah and I attended the club together, the experience offered both benefits and challenges. We had shared experiences such as participating in club activities together and forming friendships with other club members. Our favorite clubs were Keystone, Diploma to Degrees and the Rotary Club. Not to mention there were plenty of community service programs that we joined together!
What we both loved the most is that if one of us was struggling with a particular activity or facing challenges at the club, having each other to lean on offered a sense of comfort and solidarity. Now, sibling rivalry can sometimes arise, but it was always a healthy form of competition that turned into becoming each other's role models.
Being an older sibling you constantly serve as positive role models for younger sibling(s) at the club. For example, after I had become Youth of the Year in both 2014 and 2015, and moved on to college my younger sister Mariah became the Youth of the Year shortly after, in 2017. While growing up together at the Boys and Girls Club can be exciting, it’s also important for each sibling to develop their individual interests and identities. Mariah and I encourage each sibling to pursue their own passions and activities outside of the club, just like we did.”
Makayla and Mariah currently own a 3,000 sqft event venue together known as Upscale Experience Venue located in Peachtree, City GA. Outside of their business venture they are both still pursuing their own career paths. Since her time with our Clubs, Makayla graduated Phi Sigma Alpha from Salem State University and worked as a legal secretary at South Coast Legal Services. She is currently working and plans on attending Georgia State University School of Law in the Fall of 2024.
Mariah
Makayla was a role model to many of our members during her time at the Club. That was especially true for her younger sister Mariah. Following in her sister's footprints, Mariah became our 2017 Youth of the Year, and after graduating from Brockton High School in 2018, she enrolled for undergraduate studies at UMass Lowell. In May of 2022, Mariah graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a double minor in both Criminal Justice and Education! During her time at UMass Lowell, Mariah volunteered at her campus COVID testing site and managed their "River Hawk Rising" program, which provided virtual academic services to students throughout the pandemic!
Thanks to the impact of BGCMS and the skills she developed while serving as Youth of the Year, Mariah left UMass Lowell with strong connections to professors, students, directors, and advisors. Those connections allowed Mariah to continue her educational journey at Boston University, where she is currently enrolled in a dual Master's/Ph.D. program studying special education with a focus on moderate disabilities in Pre-K through 8th grade. Mariah also works closely alongside the director of the special education program at Wheelock College in her research while serving as a paraprofessional at a local elementary school.
Mariah's immediate plans are to earn her Master's degree from BU and complete the necessary licenses to become a teacher and eventually a principal or superintendent. Looking ahead, Mariah is determined to realize her dream of earning her PhD and going on to study, create, and implement new programs and policies that will improve the life of young people, just as Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro South has for her.
She attributes her desire to give back to the community and help others to her time at the Boys & Girls Club, particularly her time in the Teen Center’s Girls Group.
“Girls Group really did teach us how to love ourselves and I know that for me, at a really young age for someone to tell us to love ourselves and appreciate your race, your color, and I know that not many girls get that. Every week talking about our affirmations, what we can do as women to give back, the group really did give me the confidence and inspire me to give back like I do today.”