Study what you love and succeed:
Student Spotlight - Karen Brown

-- Dara Trooien-Leitner

A business analyst and project consultant by trade, Metropolitan State University student Karen Brown is a writer at heart. She is an avid reader and journal-keeper. She always wanted to write and fell in love with the concept of telling stories while she attended high school.

"I enjoy meeting new people, hearing their story and helping them to tell it," said Brown, a professional writing major and literature minor graduating this August. "I think it surprises some people that I didn’t go for a technical communications degree (because of my job), but that isn’t where my passions lie," she explained.

So what are her passions? Reading, writing, hearing, telling other people’s stories and sailing, sailing, sailing, she said with a smile.

Her husband Troy became interested in sailing after he read a magazine article. Soon after, the couple bought their first boat, which they named WhimSea. Even though neither one had ever sailed before, the coupled jumped right into the sport. Luckily, she liked it.

Brown is determined to graduate from college. She decided to try college once more after attending the University of Minnesota twice. Based on the recommendation of a respected friend, Brown enrolled at Metropolitan State in the summer of 2004. "This time was different from the others because I decided to pursue the degree I was really interested in, not the one that would make me money or get me a job, but the one I was passionate about. This is why I think I’ve made it this far," she said.

Brown said she has learned a lot through her literature and writing education, including designing documents and completing full-length writing projects. More significantly, Brown said she realized she wanted a degree not to advance professionally, but personally.

Metropolitan State is an adult-friendly atmosphere, said Brown, and that is one reason she likes the university. Another reason is that Metropolitan State instructors are aware of the special circumstances surrounding working adults’ lives and are empathetic to those circumstances. Additionally, Brown has been able to take many online and independent-study courses.

Brown also likes instructors who bring professionals in from outside of the university to lecture; their real-world experience provides a level of grounding and an insight into the possibilities students could pursue, she said. But she dislikes group projects. They’re a necessary pain, she said, but a pain nonetheless.

Brown said she will remember many of her instructors, including Anne Aronson and Brian Nerney. "Brian’s experience and his passion really comes through when you’re talking with him about writing as a career. He really cares about the students and wants to make sure that they’re doing what is right for them professionally as well as what they are passionate about. He was able to provide some real-world guidance and give me the benefit of his experience," she said.

Brown described Metropolitan State as satisfying. The scheduling and learning methods are flexible.

After she graduates Brown would like to submit freelance articles to various magazines, and she hopes to write for a living — preferably from her sail boat, of course.