When Harley Brown began their college journey, they weren’t sure where it would lead. Today, the University of Michigan-Flint alum helps shape how thousands of students experience campus life at Michigan State University. The path between those two points was anything but predictable, but at UM-Flint, Brown found their voice and learned how to use it for others.

Before arriving at the riverfront campus, the Clio native was a student at Mott Community College and unsure of where they were headed. “I didn’t know what I wanted to do. The world felt very vast,” Brown said. “For a while, I thought that I might become a teacher.”

That changed when MCC’s marketing office gave them the keys to its Instagram account. Brown switched from social work to communication studies after transferring to UM-Flint, drawn by the low student-to-faculty ratio. “I didn’t want to get lost in a classroom. I really wanted that personal experience,” they said.

Brown found just that in professors Sarah Rosaen, who became their faculty advisor, and Heather Seipke, who taught communication theory. For Brown, who has ADHD, Seipke’s openness about her own experience was a turning point. “Heather being so open and honest about her ADHD made me feel so seen,” Brown said. “It made me continue throughout school, even when I was discouraged.”

Seipke remembers the change. “Harley is one of those students you never forget. They began their journey somewhat unsure of their academic abilities, but through hard work, determination and a genuine enthusiasm for learning, they grew into a confident, capable student ready to take on the world.”

“Watching that transformation was a true pleasure. I am incredibly proud of all Harley accomplished during their time at UM-Flint and even prouder to see all that they have achieved since graduating.”

Brown graduated in December 2021 with a bachelor’s degree in communications studies, with a minor in social work. One standout moment was receiving the communication studies program’s Dottie Filak Outstanding Leader Award, presented to students who have the greatest impact on campus and in the community through engagement.

During their time at the university, Brown became a campus fixture through the Campus Activities Board and student government. Leadership taught them to speak up for others. “I was the one who was like, ‘I’ll take the heat, I don’t care,’” Brown said. It also taught them “how to lead empathetically with a rational head,” along with conflict negotiation, event planning and marketing to students.

Julie Snyder, associate vice chancellor and dean of students, pushed Brown further while working in her office. “She really helped shape my career and really challenged me in ways that I hadn’t been challenged before,” Brown said. Today, when a decision gets tricky, Brown still considers how Snyder would handle it.

Their biggest project was Blue Bash, UM-Flint’s welcome-back-to-campus event after the COVID-19 pandemic, which Brown served as a co-lead. “That was a huge, major lift to welcome students back and make them feel comfortable,” they said.

“I think something that I didn’t realize at the time, but now see the value in, is that UM-Flint kind of has to win you over, and, in doing so, it teaches you how to win other people over,” said Brown.

That lesson now serves Brown at MSU, where they have been the social media point person for Student Life since January 2025. They manage the parent Facebook group and student-facing channels, listening to both audiences and developing content for their needs. When parents raise concerns such as mental health, Brown creates communications for students in response. They also brought MSU’s illustrated “Safety Squirrels” from printed signage into social feeds, creating an integrated touchpoint between online and in-person interactions.

Their experiences at UM-Flint continue to guide their work. “I wrote my undergraduate thesis on social influence theory, and I use that every day. That’s how I base a lot of my decision-making with influencer marketing,” they said. The social work training shapes their crisis and prevention messaging, which means learning to “always lead with empathy to effectively communicate with a community of 50,000, essentially, about any kind of crisis.”

The thread through it all, Brown said, is making a large institution feel personal. “It’s to humanize us, and to humanize the experience where a student can see themselves in it.”

Looking ahead, Brown is considering MSU’s graduate school program in strategic communications and continuing to grow its Student Life program into a lasting resource. But they have not forgotten where they started. Rosaen said Brown has already returned to speak to current students.

“Harley Brown is a vivacious, kind and passionate social media strategist who showed the same vigor as when they were a student. They give back by serving on our alumni panel for our senior seminar class and sharing their career trajectory as a social media professional. Harley is a great example of the amazing talent that UM-Flint produces, and we couldn’t be more proud.”