Skylar Jones

Majoring in biological sciences with a concentration in health professions is already a lot for most students, but for rising sophomore, Elijah Brown, it’s only the beginning. Hailing from the city that never sleeps, New York, Elijah is much more than his title: Mister Sophomore, and the 4^th HBCU Mr. People’s Choice.

            Being from New York, he has much to take pride in. From shows like Power Book II: Ghost, starring Michael Rainy Jr. to Brooklyn rapper Bizzy Banks, his home state is full of culture. One of his favorite things about New Yorkers is their ability to “make anything fly.” He feels New York City is the hub for setting trends regarding music and fashion. Of course, as a native he may seem biased. He cites rapper ASAP Rocky as his fashion inspiration. Elijah, who goes by Eli, said that if money wasn’t a problem, he would be much more into fashion, possibly as the creative director of his own clothing brand.

            Aside from serving as a member in the Royal Court, Elijah has to balance college with his life outside of the academic realm. In candid honesty he said sometimes his mindset is “let’s make it to Friday.” As an honor student, Elijah takes rigorous classes on top of his already busy schedule. He credits staying organized as part of his success. He gains satisfaction from being able to mark task as done off his schedule, which he keeps on his phone. Elijah believes that classes aren’t the hardest part of college, instead it’s the responsibility of being on your own. You have to wake yourself up, hold yourself accountable, and partially motivate yourself. One of the things that helped him was understanding his purpose.

            Elijah believes one of his purposes here at Delaware State University is to make an impact. That is one of the reasons he decided to run for the 2022-2023 title of Mister Sophomore. He feels he truly represents the class of 2025, the Dream Chasers. Besides the family vibe, he loves that DSU feels like a second home. It is big enough to where he could meet new people every day, yet small enough to where he does not feel like a statistic along with his peers. As a freshman he began networking, which has helped him meet many people in high places on the campus. One of his top three favorite things about DSU, along with the platform he has garnered, is that it is student led. There are many small businesses on campus, such as jewelers, estheticians, clothing brands, and more! Although it’s great, not everything on our illustrious campus is perfect. Our Mister Sophomore believes organization is an area in which DSU can improve.

            As mentioned earlier, Elijah is much more than his titles; he is just like his peers here at DSU. As a child he participated in numerous things, such as church choir. He also enjoys dancing; you can catch him around campus “getting sturdy.” Throughout high school he was a triple sport athlete. Between playing basketball, football, and running track, he never saw himself in a role of student-leadership. He credits sports with teaching him things such as discipline and teamwork. By being captain on multiple of his teams he feels it helped him build his leadership and become more relatable, two things he plans to carry over into his leadership position. As the first of his eight siblings to go out of state for college, he says this is one of his motivations to make it.

            Some of his favorite tunes include Brent Faiyaz, a popular R&B/Soul singer, and G-Herbo, who performed at DSU’s most recent spring fling. Naturally in his list of his favorite top 5 artists is a New York native, Bizzy Banks. He also enjoys watching television shows such as Prison Break. The award-winning show which stars Wentworth Miller is about two brothers as they conceive a plan to help the older brother who is wrongfully jailed for a crime he did not commit. He also enjoys watching anime. Some of his favorites are My Hero Academia and fan favorite Attack on Titan.

One of his best friends, Catherine Bertil, describes Elijah as determined, unique, selfless, and unapologetically himself. Catherine, a rising sophomore majoring in biological sciences, with a concentration in health professions and minor in psychology, is a longtime friend of Eli. Besides having similar academic studies, the two enjoy dancing together, specifically to New York tunes. Her favorite memory is right after she lost her campaign for Ms. Sophomore, and how Elli consoled her. Due to Coronavirus-19 the pair had to talk through a glass window, as Cat stood outside confiding to her friend, who had recently won just as she did not.

Just like the rest of us, sometimes Elijah needs a snack to get through the day. Little Bites are one of his favorites. The mini muffins are notorious for being small, and only coming with 4 per pack. With Trinidadian in his culture, he also enjoys eating Caribbean food. One of his guilty pleasures is eating a Kit-Kat a day. 

Following his graduation from DSU in 2025, Elijah plans to attend medical school at another illustrious HBCU. He recognizes that people of color have skin textures that differs from others and wants to help African Americans with things such as acne. He plans to pursue a career in cosmetic dermatology and bring more doctors of color into the field.

You can catch Elijah, and the rest of the members of the DSU Royal Court, this upcoming fall as they host events throughout the school year. Never be afraid to approach him as he is always open to friendly conversation. For now, be sure to follow him on Instagram @elijah3rown.