clarion
Brevard College,BrevardN.C.
Vol. 56 No. 8
Wednesday^ February 1,1989
by Heather ('.onrad
Assistant Editor
Sharon and Devin Brown are a couple of
teachers new to BC. Literally a couple of
teachers.
And be it luck or be it fate, Sharon and
Devin Brown’s adoption into EC’s faculty
family is just what the college needed, and
what the Browns wanted. BC needed
teachers. Sharon Brown was hired to in
struct P.E. and continuing education.
Devin was hired to teach English and com
puting. The Browns wanted to teach on a
college level. BC became the answer, in
the spring of 1988.
“We’d usually get jobs together”, said
Devin. “In Connecticut we filled V/2 posi
tions at the boarding school, and we were
prepared to do it again.”
And so they did.
And here they are.
Sharon and Devin both originated from
the midwest, but it wasn’t until college
that their paths, and futures, crobsed.
Devin spent his first year of school at the
University of Dallas. He then attended Lin
coln Christian and transferred to
Missouri’s Culver-Stockton College for his
junior year. After completing a series of
CLEP tests later the same year, Devin
graduated a senior from Culver, with a
bachelor’s degree in Religion/Philosophy.
Devin then earned a master’s at East Il
linois University, and a master’s of Fine
Arts in creative writing at the University
of Florida. Devin returned to East Illinois
and taught English. It was during this time
that Devin put his creative abilities to the
test.
“I had been taking some computer
courses and, at the time, there weren’t in
struction manuals available. My physics
professor had a federal grant for specially
gifted students.” Knowing of his creative
writing background, the professor asked
Devin to write a series of computer
manuals. Devin wrote the series, which
was later published, financed by the grant.
But this was not the only event at East Il
linois to affect Devin’s future. Devin met
Sharon Cizek, an East Illinois student on
her way to earning a bachelor’s degree in
P.E. Later on, the two married.
After marrying, Sharon began teaching,
and Devin continued to teach. The couple’s
jobs, if not in the same school, were
located close to each other. “Sharon and I
taught at an all-girl boarding school in
Connecticut for two years,” Devin said.
“We then left to join the Peace Corps. In
October of 1986, three weeks before we
were scheduled to work in the Fiji Islands,
the trip was cancelled by the Fiji govern
ment.”
With a change of plans forced upon
them, the Browns headed to S.C.. Sharon
attended the University of South Carolina
at Columbia, where she earned a master’s
in P.E.. Meanwhile, Devin taught at Ham
mond High, a private school near USC.
The two continued to search for opportuni
ty. Explained Sharon, “The head of my
department at USC knew I was looking for
a job. One day, an opening at Brevard ap
peared on the job offer list. An advisor told
me to check it out. So Devin and I sent our
resumes.”
The same college, the same occupation.
The two even share the same car. Do the
If
Brevard College’s newest dynamic duo, Sharon and Devin Brown, strike
a playful pose beneath some of the stained glass ornaments they’ve
made. (Clarion photo by Jock Lauterer)
- geth er
at
BC
Browns, then, live happily ever after??
More than that.
Together, Sharon and Devin Brown are
moving forward and going places. Each
values the other’s differences and learns
from them. Marriage hasn’t slowed the
lives of Sharon and Devin—it’s enhanced
them. Said Devin, “Our jobs aren’t on top
of each other. It’s nice, I think, t>eing at the
same school; we can offer juggestions and
give support to each other. Some couples
live in the middle, and go opposite ways
each day. There seems to be something
wrong if that situation works better.”
Sharon agreed. “We find that working
together gives us strength. It helps us feel
more connected with the whole college, in
stead of just parts, Devin’s over in MG,
and I’m in the gym; we each know a dif
ferent group,” She smiled and added a
matter-of-factly, “Together, we know a
lot! Our differences give us enough to
share together,” Devin continued,
“Sharon, for instance, might go to a lec
ture I suggest. She might not have gone
otherwise. I feel our individual interests
broaden each other,”
People are another important part of life
for the Browns, Relationships developed
outside Sharon and Devin’s marriage are
as important as the relationship develop
ing within. Said Sharon, “We moved here
in July, prepared to talk just to each other.
But Randy Jackson was at the house when
we pulled up. He let us in and showed us
around. Later, both the Jacksons came
over and brought us dinner. All in the first
night! And Belton, Preston, Zimmerman,
and the whole Alexander family came by
welcoming us. After this, we knew we were
in the right place,”
The Brown-student relationship is an
ever-changing one, the Browns believe.
Versatility and relating are key factors, as
is learning by both student and teacher.
Said Devin, “I constantly revise my
teaching, I see things that work and try to
change things that don’t. Teaching is a
profession which aims to make the best
product possible. In other jobs I’ve tried,
the aim was to make the most money in the
least time, forget the product’s quality. It
was sad to see this going on, but it did br
ing me to teaching,”
“With teaching,” Sharon said, “I’m still
learning. It’s really exciting for me, to see
the students grow enthusiastic in what
they’re learning, 1 care that they learn.
Learning is fun. Improvement is fun,”
And as excited as the Browns get for
teaching, the students get for the Browns,
Sophomore Mae King, a former student of
Sharon and Devin, commented, “The
Browns seem to relate so easily to us, and I
just plain feel comfortable around them, in
or out of class,”
This “comfortableness” comes, Devin
felt, partly from the couple’s ages, but
partly from involvement, “I run, play on
the faculty volleyball team, enjoy con
certs, Sharon and I have many interests
that students have, I feel we give students
a feeling of ‘comfortableness’ perhaps.
I’m not sure if that’s a good word, but I’m
really aware of this feeling being present,”
So the Browns are compatible. The
Browns are comforting. And the Browns
are competitive. Devin starts the match.
“A popular misconception is that many
think Sharon’s faster at running. She’s not.
She never has and never will beat me.”
Sharon retaliates. "People used to tease
Devin; they called him a ‘computer nerd.’
Well, he is!”
The two are even keeping a list ana
checking it twice, of ‘Who’s Better at
What’. But alas, after the games end, the
two share a victory—together