Taurean Brown figured out early on that the best policy often starts with one good idea. Add hard work, the commitment to see it through, stir, repeat.
During her first year as a Ford School student, Taurean founded Public Policy Connects (PPC), a program that introduces southeast Michigan students from diverse backgrounds to the field of public policy. Now in its fourth year at the Ford School and well on its way to becoming a school tradition, this one-day conference teaches students what public policy is, its impact on their lives, and how they can make a difference in their communities. These high school sophomores and juniors from Detroit, Ypsilanti, and Ann Arbor also learn about U-M's application process and careers in public service. Taurean created a similar program at Stanford University while she was still an undergraduate; Project WRITE was a 10-week workshop designed to help high school students' develop their writing skills.
Taurean's next big idea? She'll embark on government service in the Navy JAG Corps after completing a 2011–12 Karpatkin Racial Justice Fellowship with the ACLU. "The Ford School cultivates the entire student—from providing exceptional academics to promoting extracurricular interests and supporting professional pursuits."