“What do you want to be when you grow up?” A question often asked of young people by their parents and other influential adults, yields a variety of responses. Many children, reply based on what they’ve been exposed to – perhaps an image of a successful person on television, or an admired person in their community. Other times, the influence derives from what they’ve been led to believe is possible for them. When she was a little girl, Saundra Brown was given toy nurse’s kits. She would eat the candy “pills” and toss the stethoscope and other tools to the side. As an Indianapolis native, her mother who had only gone as far as the 11th grade in school, had hopes of her daughter becoming an elevator attendant at a posh downtown department store. Brown recalled that it was a prestigious position reserved for only “certain” Black women in that day.
None of these things suited her. Brown had one singular career aspiration, teaching.
“You’ll hear this from many teachers…one of my teachers was my inspiration,” she said. During Brown’s formative years she lived in the Irvington neighborhood. Black people, at the time, resided near the center of town and were surrounded by all white neighborhoods yielding an integrated school experience – a rare situation for Black children in the late 1940’s. From as young as she can remember, she loved acting out and playing “school” with her friends and relatives.
“That’s what I wanna be,” she said about teaching. “That’s who I am”
After finishing high school, Brown attended Ball State University on a full scholarship and was the first in her family to attend college.
“My mother was the kind of mother who taught me to be an independent woman before it was in vogue. She paid for me to have a Trailways bus ticket and cab fare when I went to Muncie for orientation. I was alone,” said Brown. “(My mother) said you’re smart enough. You know what to do.”
That remark sparked Brown’s already ambitious nature and motivated her to continue achieving her goals. She taught English for four decades in Washington Township as well as the Pendleton Juvenile Correctional Facility and garnered several honors from community organizations such as the Center for Leadership Development.
Recently, the retired educator was awarded the David Hanna Golden Touch Award by the Indiana State Teachers Association during ISTA’s Representative Assembly. The honor recognizes a retired educator who has demonstrated continued leadership in the association and the community.
“She is a tireless retired volunteer,” said ISTA-Retired Chair Rod Ellcessor in a written statement. “She has worked for years and countless hours as a volunteer in the association.”
Despite having a few health concerns stemming from undergoing a lung transplant 10 years ago and losing vision in one eye, Brown stays active in education and civic engagements.
Since retiring from the classroom, she has served as the ISTA-Retired chapter treasurer, on the Greater Indianapolis Retired Chapter Executive Board and on the ISTA-Retired Statewide District Council. She was also appointed to a special term as the retired representative for ISTA’s Minority Affairs Committee. Additionally, Brown works to promote literacy through the NEA program Read Across America and local community programs.
Each Tuesday, she tutors a group of first graders in Pike township and presently mentors other educators.
“I just do my thing,” said Brown. “Its nice to be recognized. I’m proud and I share that with my grandaughter who is the love of my life. You do what you do and people appreciate it…modesty is a virtue and I’m very modest about it.”
