Check Out Brayden Smith’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Brayden Smith

Hi Brayden, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Born and raised in Jacksonville, North Carolina, growing up people described me as outgoing and enjoyed being around people but as I grew older I became more of a reserved person. In high school, I did well in school but I didn’t consider myself involved as I only played basketball and football. Upon attending North Carolina Central University (NCCU) I had a desire to play sports in college and was looking forward to walking on because it was the only thing I thought I knew. I had surgery that summer and it made me question myself because I didn’t know where to start. During my first week of school, I was introduced to many peers and faculty who gave me advice that I still use today. I was shared the importance of building your network by gaining connections with individuals throughout campus and beyond. I began making my face known in the student center, introduced myself to the Career & Professional Development Center (CPDC), went to symposiums held by individuals with valuable knowledge worth sharing, and even started to play on the NCCU flag football team. I had to learn the part of me that I had growing up, and I slowly started to become comfortable with being uncomfortable. I was a business major so I started going into the School of Business and meeting with the Dean and many of the faculty/staff members. I remember seeing an email from our Dean about Professional Dress Tuesday. So you know what I did, I started dressing up every Tuesday and realized what opportunities came simply by wearing business attire, not to mention it felt good. So I started doing it more! I remember hearing about our CPDC Career Fair and I was glad I had the clothes to make that strong first impression. Going into the Career Fair I knew I didn’t have much on my resume but I still went in and learned how to pitch myself to each company. I was glad I went but wished I had more to present to the companies, so I started seeking learning opportunities we had available. I went to interest meetings and later joined two student-led organizations, NCCU Flames & the Latino Male Initiative (LMI) along with a peer-mentor program Crear Futuros. While I was finding things to build my resume I realized I had an interest in modeling so I asked how I could become one for NCCU. I also began to grow interested in Royal Court and later was given the chance to be an escort for a game. It was neat to see the picture of us blown up on HBCUBuzz via Instagram and was the start of my internet presence. I became the first Mister for Flames and an active member of LMI. During the spring semester, I was blessed to have my first paid trip to Baltimore for the Thurgood Marshall College Fund Devcon Conference. It allowed me to network with other HBCUs and better my public speaking skills as I had to be a speaker in a room with over 400 people. This experience significantly boosted my confidence in speaking. Once I returned, I started running for Mister Sophomore and I tell you that the whole experience was a challenge for me but I overcame it. I had to learn to speak to the majority of my campus, explain what I stand for and hope to accomplish, present myself well, and create a way for my campus to know who I am. Although I did not win, I appreciated the experience with what I gained from it. The very next day I had to travel to Florida for the Southern Regional Honors Council Conference. Looking back on this time, I remember being stressed from the busy life I started to have but it gave me a lesson on where I should put my time. From my networking across campus to my campaign run I began to realize that more people knew who I was. From building relationships in my major department, I was asked to be a part of our New School of Business ribbon cutting and photoshoot. During the early spring semester, I applied to be the NCCU Yard Ambassador & Influencer for Thurgood Marshall College Fund. When spring rolled along I was happy to receive the call that I was named the Yard Ambassador & Influencer. This past summer was where my trips and other opportunities began to happen. When June came, I was able to take a paid trip to Princeton for the HBCU Business Dean’s Roundtable. I also got blessed with being an extern for the Beats Externship. After the Roundtable, I went to the Yard Ambassador Immersion in Atlanta, and then the following week I traveled to Minnesota for the Medtronic Immersion Program. In hindsight, I was thankful to be able to take part in 5 paid trips within my first year of college. During this time I remember having to learn to balance my workload along with not burning out. While I enjoyed these experiences I was taking summer classes. One of the highlights of my summer was when people started telling me I was on our school billboard; it shocked me initially and when I saw it I honestly couldn’t believe it. With the things that I entailed, I was able to start my sophomore year with connections across campus and jobs to better my future. A couple of weeks into the academic semester, people started reminding me that I was no longer on the virtual billboard but on our NCCU homepage. I say this at the end to conclude what happened my first year but I cannot have gotten through this without God. The opportunities he placed for me and the way he developed and continued to do is something that I cannot take for granted.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
No, I wouldn’t say it is ever a smooth road for anyone who goes through life. I had struggles with getting out of my comfort zone. I feel I discussed some of my roadblocks through my story piece but public speaking was a big one for me when looking back. I didn’t think I would ever need to publicly speak but I was glad I met individuals who put me in spaces where I had to constantly introduce myself. When it came to my campaign, the week of introducing myself to people I never spoke to on campus was a struggle. Throughout that time I overthought a lot and I believe things could have been smoother if I trusted myself more.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
At the moment I feel I am known for being the person Central sees on their NCCU homepage, the Thurgood Marshall College Fund Yard Ambassador, an individual who just loves to learn how he can improve himself to be a better person. I feel I connected with a good number of individuals and my drive to learn is what improves me in my passion. I want to help others, so I know I have to get myself together as well. I am proud of how I was able to accomplish the things that happened in just my first year and a half in college. I have to learn to give myself more credit, but I believe that is what helps me stay on track. I am thankful for what has happened but if I became a person who felt entitled to what I achieved, I would limit my future. I believe every day I am slowly learning pieces of what God wants me to do and that is what I choose to never veer from.

What matters most to you?
Following God & building a relationship with him that I can be proud of. Why? I believe things happen for a reason, it can be a blessing or lesson but I feel they are always both. Jesus Christ showed us what it meant to be perfect, now I understand that we will never reach perfection but must try to follow in Jesus’ footsteps. We will stumble, and may even fall, but God gives us the chance to decide whether we choose to get up and keep going or to stay down and be held back by what tripped us. Now that is my #1 matter and what follows suit is being something to be proud of to my mother and family. My family showed me what I know today, to never forget life’s priorities. My mother showed me sheer determination and the importance of loving those you care about. My uncle taught me knowledge is money while my step-pops taught me the rewards and consequences of life. My nana showed me to claim it and have that faith because nothing can affect where the Lord will take you. My pops taught me to respect and to know that those before you have wisdom to last a lifetime. My grandfather taught me life without tech along with the importance of checking on others and valuing health. My aunties gave me guidance on how to approach people & the power of what you say. My father taught me to realize that there are two sides to a coin. You see the ones that have been family since I entered this world and the ones who became it with time showed me how to maneuver through life in their own ways.  I feel this matters most because it shows the power of people, it shows me what I need to build for those who come after me. You see I couldn’t say that any of them are perfect because they told me so, but that never stopped any of them from doing all they could to make sure I turned out alright. So I believe I should never let the fear of perfection limit me from making sure I help those who ask for my help.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ricooo.5/