Melanin Madam: BRANLAND VAUGHN

     Branland Renee Vaughn was born in New Orleans but raised in Houston,Tx. She is a recent college Graduate from Sam Houston State University. She has ambitions of working for the government in the emergency management field. She was a member of an award winning and internationally based organization by the name “Project Sunshine”, where she gained knowledge and experience interacting With children and adults that have disabilities. Along with working in emergency management, Branland also hopes to become a board member of the Texas Disability Taskforce in effort to ensure the safety of the disabled and special needs...

   I met Branland back in middle school, in the beginning of our 6 grade year. Although i met her so early on , Our friendship actually didn’t start to blossom until our 8th grade year. The mutual love for music and embracing our differences is what made us grow tight like sisters. For as long as i can remember, Branland has always been an uplifting, caring, selfless person. And the confidence she embodied was definitely something that inspired me so much about her. I believe you only meet ONE person like her in life and I’m so blessed i did. My friendship with branland is one I’ll cherish forever and more...

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What made you choose your major? My decision to major in Criminal Justice was fueled by my reading addiction. My favorite authors are those who explore the world of deviance and psychology. By me reading those stories I had developed such an interest that I knew I wanted to study those concepts on a deeper level. My first choice for my major was English; I wanted to have a career as a book editor. 

If you had to sum up your 4 years in college, what would you say?   Passageway adulthood. College was great, but the overall euphoria of being on my own and doing whatever I wanted was gone by the end of my sophomore year. Something just kind of hit me as if to say “Hey, it’s time to get serious about your life.” I definitely plan to pursue my masters degree in the near future. 

What are some things you learned about yourself being away at school?   College has this sort of predisposition where everyone is supposed to experience such life changing events and ‘find themselves’. I learned that I am truly one of a kind. I’ve always been confident about who I am as a person. My experiences throughout college were almost affirmations to myself that I am exactly who I need to be. I also learned that good things really come to those wait. 

Do you see yourself going back to college? Yes yes yes! I plan to get my masters in Emergency Management. I have aspirations of working for the Department of Homeland Security someday. 

What inspires you? Life inspires me. Life is similar to a kaleidoscope; there are so many shapes and colors at every turn. The possibilities are endless. I also love that there is such pleasure in the small things that life has to offer. With anything you choose to do in life there is always some sort of journey. Those journeys are the greatest inspirations I’ve experienced. 

WHO would you say inspires the woman you are today ? Any black figures? Every woman and man in my family. My family members are very unique. They’ve all walked through their journeys in life and have gained so much from their experiences. Now that I am older I am able to pull from their achievements, hardships and overall knowledge to mold myself into the woman I am continuously becoming. 

Did you face any challenges as a black girl growing up? If so, please explain Being Black and growing up around a predominantly white subculture was incredibly challenging. I was “too white for the black and too black for the white” as some say. I had very few black friends growing up which created a strain in my connection with my culture as a teen. Because of that disconnect I began to believe that I didn’t need to connect with my African American peers and that I had nothing to gain from my culture. Now that I’ve entered adulthood I recall those thoughts and I appreciate them so much because had it not been for my ignorance I would have never realized how much I needed to connect with my peers. I never would have understood the struggles of my community nor would I have appreciated our prosperity as a race. To this day I still face challenges as a black woman, the difference is I am more educated on why I face adversity and how to overcome it. 

what did you specifically educate yourself on to overcome those challenges?   I opened my eyes. I believe the reason I had developed such a closed minded perception of my peers was because I refused to accept what I saw around me everyday. As an adolescent you think you know everything but in reality you’re very naive to the world. Once I began to view the actions of those around me I then understood who I was and that I was, I am, a part of this amazing community of people who are enriched with melanin and culture. I had to ask myself “how could you not want to be a part of this?” I chose to overcome my ignorance with the blink of an eye.  

How would you describe the woman you are today ? And the woman you want to be ? As a Black woman in today’s society I would say that I am of true integrity and beauty. I pray that I keep my integrity throughout my years and I know that life will encourage me to mature even more.

Where/how do you see yourself in the future? In all honesty I have no idea. I would like to think that I’ll have my dream job and a family and so on but things are never set in stone. So with that being said, for my future self I would like to be happy and healthy. Everything else will fall into place accordingly. 

What are some encouraging words you can  to success-driven women like yourself? “Comparison is the thief of joy.” Never compare yourself to anyone else nor question their life with regards to your own. Your path is yours only, no one else can walk it for you. I would also like to add that life is unpredictable and the decisions you make my not lead you to where you want to be right away so don’t get discouraged that your “3 year plan” didn’t come to be. The detour my be your new path.

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  Branland Vaughn is destined to be a very successful woman making a kind impact on the world. Her self-driven, highly motivated, and loving personality will lead her very far in a prospering life!

  Thank you Branland for allowing me to interview you and being such an inspiration.

I gladly crown you, a MELANIN MADAM 👑

KEEP UP WITH BRANLAND VAUGHN:

INSTAGRAM- BranV_

Thank you all for reading. This concludes the MELANIN MADAM series for 2018. I pray you all enjoyed this series and i also hope you all were inspired by these beautiful young women ❤️

Until the near post, STAY UP ✌🏾