Brazelton is a former freshman advisor, a current resident advisor, a partner in the foundation of a new student advocacy group, a proponent for the Alabama community through the Blackburn Institute and has been called the driving force behind the University’s outreach program to Serbia.
As a freshman advisor last year in Ridgecrest South, Brazelton helped new students find their niche on campus. This year, he’s taking on the role of resident advisor for a new set of freshmen.
But outside the dorm, Brazelton began a partnership with Patrick Crowley, a senior majoring in economics, finance and mathematics, to start a low-income, high-achievement student group on campus. The two of them are working with the Honors College, and Brazelton said they are striving to connect with the First Generation Program, a University program that provides funding for first generation college students. Brazelton and Crowley’s goal is to retain low-income honors students by connecting them to the UA community.
“Bringing them in is one thing, but keeping them is another,” Brazelton said.
Similarly to his freshman advisor role, Brazelton said he wants to help this specific group of students access connections that will promote growth within themselves, the UA community and the low-income communities they’re from.
In 2007, before Brazelton said he even thought about The University of Alabama, he experienced what would be the footprint to his work with Serbia. A group of Serbian students came to Brazelton’s high school to host a circle discussion about the stereotypes and cultural identity issues they experienced in their home country.
Brazelton said it shocked and intrigued him how similar the cultures were despite the massive distance separating these people from him.
Eight years later, Brazelton is working with the issues in Serbia on a personal level. Brazelton now leads twenty-two honor students in the Serbian Fellowship Experience every year, a University funded and U.S. State Department supported trip to Serbia. The students spend two weeks in Serbia living with host families and making presentations about their cultural experiences in Alabama.
Program co-founder Al Gilani, a senior majoring in chemical and biological engineering, said a relationship between the United States and Serbia remains somewhat strained due to the history between the countries in the ‘90s.
“[This project is] integral to smoothing the turbulent history between our two countries and creating a two-way learning conversation between the cultures,” Gilani said.
Brazelton said he sees the global community as a continuum to strive upon, and the interconnectedness of the global youth as a key to progress is the most important thing while spending the two weeks in Serbia.
“[We’re] building cultural bridges between multinational youths,” he said.
Back home in Alabama, Brazelton’s work in community building continues. The Blackburn Institute is a community of leaders throughout the University who aim to immerse themselves in Alabama culture and push for the advancement of the state. With the Institute, Brazelton takes three to four trips during the year to grassroots communities to study issues Alabama faces. Brazelton said within his time at the University, he has sought to make connections between people and communities. He recently spoke at a freshman seminar for Alabama Action on how to get involved.
Brazelton’s friend, Jason Arterburn, a senior majoring in economics and interdisciplinary studies, said the connections Brazelton has made on campus, around the state and the world have emerged from Brazelton’s outgoing personality.
“His drive to succeed, his quick wit and his social awareness draw people to him,” Arterburn said.
