Tashana Taylor Brown

I began my journey in higher education in 2010 after completing my undergraduate degree, starting as a resident director and assistant women's soccer coach at Bethel University in Tennessee. Growing up, I was an athlete who played soccer, and coaching became my true passion - I absolutely love working with college kids. I first got involved in residence life as a resident assistant during my own college years, and I've worked in both residence life and coaching over the years. I took a head coaching position at Bacone College in Muskogee, Oklahoma for about four years, then moved to St. Mary's University in San Antonio, Texas in 2016 where I worked for just under two years before returning to Bethel as an assistant soccer coach again for two years. Unfortunately, after too many surgeries on my knees, I was physically unable to continue coaching the way I wanted to. In 2020, right in the middle of COVID, I became the Director of Residence Life at Bethel University, leading the department that oversees where students live on campus. After three years in that role, I moved back to San Antonio, where I currently serve as the Director of Residence Life at Our Lady of the Lake University. I'm originally from Jamaica and came out of poverty, and one of my primary reasons for seeking recognition is to be visible for other young females, especially Jamaicans and those living in poverty, so they can see that they can make it with just hard work and dedication.