It’s the end of an era for me

After 21 years running USIU-A – and about 15,000 students later – Prof Freida Brown is curtsying out.

It’s been a long road for a girl who was born in the small town of Hopkinsville, Kentucky, US, but grew up in St Louis, Missouri.
When she came back to Kenya in 1994 as the VC (she first came in 1990 as a visiting lecturer), she didn’t plan to stay, but the universe conspired and 21 years later, she is still here, having seen two generations pass through her hands at the institution.

Fittingly, she sat at the head of a large moody-surfaced table in her boardroom for this interview. Behind her, on a large glass-wall unit, sat numerous trophies illustrating her career.

She was contemplative, reflective, funny and, often, emotional. Twice, tears sprung to her eyes.

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Why did you stay on for 21 years?

You know, I don’t know. (Chuckles). I think what happened was that I got involved in the job. Prior to this job, I rarely spent more than five years in one place. I think it’s because I got bored too easily. When I came here, I gave it three to five years but every three to five years, something changed so there was never a dull moment.

What will you miss most when you leave?

I’ll miss when I’m feeling down and walking across campus and young people wave at me and give me a smile. When the chips were down and I wanted to pack up and go back home, my mom always told me to remember why I’m here, not for the accolades but for the young people... yeah, I will miss that.

What have been some of the defining moments for you?

I have lost people and in some ways those losses have had a great impact on me in terms of what direction I took. Getting a doctorate degree was defining, definitely. Oh and getting divorced. (Laughs) That was a defining moment all right. Oh, I only stayed married for three years.

Three years? Wow, you really hang in there….

Oh a long time! Don’t even go there! (Chuckles) You know... actually getting divorced back in the States got me onto a different tangent career-wise because I was free! We didn’t have kids, so I left him and went to California and it’s that job that eventually led me here.

But also getting married in itself was a defining moment, because I was working at California University, my alma mater, and I left a career that was blossoming and moved to Baltimore with this man I had only known for six months, a man I barely knew…

Oh, you must have been a romantic.

I was. (Laughs) But like I said, I never stayed anywhere for more than five years – including my marriage apparently. So those moments have impacted on my life. I tell people to have a work-life balance but I don’t. This place has been everything to me for 21 years, it’s been my family.

You know, I also left a man in San Diego, who passed on. And after 21 years here sometimes I wonder, should I have married him? Should I have gone back home? There have been negatives and positives but I don’t regret the choices I made.

After 21 years of doing this daily, I imagine when you walk away, you will be left with this colossal hole in your life. How are you going to fill that?

I have no idea! [Pause] I have no idea. Every time I think of walking out that gate for the last time, it just chokes me up it’s... it’s been my life. [Gets emotional] And I mean... I don’t know. [Starts tearing] Sorry, but you know, it will be fun figuring the next step. I don’t know... maybe it will be pole dancing with my bad knees in St Louis. It’s a new job opportunity and good exercise too. (Laughs)

Maybe get more involved in academics in my country. I’ve always wanted to write. I want to take watercolour classes, pottery, photography classes. I will see what comes out, whatever is fun.

You know, Ms Brown, I have a very strong feeling you can really excel in that pole dancing thing…

[Laughs hard] Don’t you put that one down! It’s off the record! (Laughs).

But seriously, what have you learnt about yourself during your years at USIU?

Well, I think I have learnt that I’m a bit more of a perfectionist than I thought. My mom used to tell me that things cannot be as perfect as I want them to be. Not to accept mediocrity but to be able to balance the need to be perfect and reality is key.

Two generations have literally passed through your hands here. What does that mean to you?

Many parents and their kids have passed through this school. You know, I can be pushing a cart in the supermarket and someone will walk up and say, “Hi VC” or “Hi, Freida Brown” and I will always say, “Are you one of mine?” (Laughs). And they say, “yeah!” and it’s just amazing for me. I like when all the students who passed through here are doing great with their education.

You have kids?

[Brightly] I have 6,000 of them now? (Laughs]. These are all my kids. The university has been my baby and so you watch your baby grow.

What has been your lowest moment in your career?

[Thinks]. It’s been recently. We have worked hard as an association of private universities to get some things and after all that, they all got taken away. I felt like I had stepped back in time 20 years.

How has the Internet impacted on how students learn now?

Before, students had to actively look for information. Things have totally transformed with technology. Back in 1994, we had to talk more with students. Today technology has caused children to be in overload. We have to guide them through all that, to distinguish what’s useful. It was easier to teach the pre-Internet students.

Who is that one kid you will still think of fondly and say, “Man, that kid was something special!”

David Mwambari. He came from Rwanda, family was affected by the genocide, couldn’t speak a word of English when he came. David was very involved in community service here, went ahead to get his Masters here and then went to the States and got his second Masters. Now he is in Australia doing his doctorate. He’s married with a little baby, a girl.

He says when he is done with his doctorate, he wants to come back here, where it all started, to teach and give back. He also built a primary school in his father’s village in Rwanda. That’s the kind of student you don’t forget easily.

What’s your greatest regret in life?

Probably not having children of my own. Just having a little Freida around would have been nice. She would be a big Freida now, of course. (Smiles)

How do you let your hair down?

Well, lately I have been letting my hair down by falling asleep! (Laughs) I loved dancing, but with my bad knee, it’s not been possible anymore. I enjoy reading mystery novels, watching movies.

Greatest influence in your life?

My mom. She passed on in November last year. [Emotional]. She did things to make sure her kids were educated as a single parent. My dad died years ago.

Are you happy?

Yes, I’m pretty happy these days... yeah.

One final message to young people?

Make a commitment. Young people don’t make commitments anymore. They get a new job and they leave because it’s paying more, not knowing what they would have learnt in the job they left.

What’s the one song you would like to be singing as you walk out of this institution for good?

I Did It My Way – Frank Sinatra.

I didn’t attend this university, but on behalf of every student who passed through here – even those who dropped out – I’d like to say thank you for your commitment and best of luck when you finally leave next year. To your health, Ms Brown.

Come back if you dropped out! (Laughs hard) Thank you, Biko. Thank you.