When Brandon Moore crossed Georgia Southern University’s commencement stage this spring to earn a master’s degree in higher education, it was a defining moment in his life in several ways.
Not only was it a fulfillment of promises made to loved ones no longer here, but also to himself, and a mark of a moment that was finally “his time.”
Moore, who made a first attempt at a college education right after high school, recalled not being ready for college initially.
“I went because that’s what everybody in my family said I should do,” he remembered. “I didn’t do very well because I wasn’t ready and got involved with the wrong crowd. I flunked out of school, and after that, I went to work.”
While working, Moore contributed to his younger brother’s college education as he aspired to be a medical doctor.
“Helping him through college was about creating a legacy in my family,” Moore said. “No one on either side of our family had ever become a medical doctor, so he was navigating through a space that he had never navigated before, and nobody in our family could give him the blueprint. It was important for me because I want a better life for my parents — especially my mom — who’s been one of my biggest supporters. I’ve always said if I wasn’t successful, I at least wanted him to be successful because I wanted him to be able to take care of my mama.”
During this time Moore also became one of the caregivers for his paternal grandmother as she battled cancer. It was a conversation with his grandmother during her last days that inspired him to not give up on a college education.
“Once I went to school and didn’t do well, I was kind of like the black sheep of the family,” he said. “As his grandmother was transitioning she said, ‘Even if nobody else is proud of you, I want you to know that I’m proud of you.’
“She went on to say, ‘I want you to promise me that you’ll go back and get your degree.’ I promised her right there that I would,” Moore said.
Yet, it would be several more years before he would be able to keep his word.
“I was going from job to job, and everybody else in my family was progressing and getting degrees and being successful,” Moore said. “I really felt like the outcast. I’m the oldest grandchild. I should have been setting the example, but it seemed like I was watching everybody else live my dream.”
Those thoughts led Moore into a deep depression and a suicide attempt, he said.
In his darkest moment, Moore heard something say, “‘If nobody else is proud of you, I’m proud of you.’
“In that moment I said, ‘I can’t do this. She’s still with me.’”
Following that experience, Moore said he thought to himself, “Either you’re going to take control of life, or life is going to take control of you.”
He moved away from his hometown of Adrian, Georgia, and found his home in Statesboro. He began working at a medical office and decided to reapply to college.
“Because I didn’t do well in college initially, I couldn’t get financial aid, so I was trying to figure out how I was going to pay for school,” he said. “I decided to submit an appeal the Friday before school was supposed to start. On Monday, they called me and told me my appeal had been approved, so I began in January of 2020 at East Georgia State College (EGSC) where I went on to become a Dean’s List Scholar.”
More than 10 years after graduating from high school, Moore earned an associate’s degree from EGSC and then enrolled at Georgia Southern to pursue a bachelor’s in psychology.
“My goal at first was to get my degree and fulfill the promise to my grandmother,” he said. “But I decided that even though I was a nontraditional student, I wanted to get involved on campus.”
Moore joined the University Programming Board where he became the chair of the Spirit and Traditions Committee. Planning events like Homecoming, the Lighting of Sweetheart Circle and the Lantern Walk helped Moore find a sense of belonging on campus.
He also got involved with various student organizations including the NAACP, 100 Black Men of America’s Collegiate 100 chapter and the President’s Student Advisory Committee. In addition, he became vice president of student engagement for the Student Government Association during his time as a graduate student in the Jack N. Averitt College of Graduate Studies (JNACOGS), where he currently works full time as a graduate student admissions coordinator.
One of Moore’s proudest accomplishments from his undergraduate career was earning the title of Mr. Georgia Southern University in 2022, paired with a $1,000 scholarship.
“I became the first nontraditional student to compete in and win that competition,” he said.
Being involved as an undergraduate student who earned a degree in psychology in 2022 steered Moore into a new career direction.
“When I first came back to school, I wanted to be an occupational therapist,” he said. “But being involved in student organizations and student life made me realize I have another passion. This is what I’m supposed to be doing — being a mentor to students. So while I was helping them by mentoring, they were also helping me by helping me realize what my true mission was.”
In addition to strengthening his skills at Georgia Southern, Moore also found purpose in serving through ministry. He became a licensed minister in 2017 and uses the platform to encourage and help others through life.
“Every time I encounter any person, whether that’s in church or at work or another way, my goal is to help that person know that there’s greatness on the inside of them, and it’s all about unlocking that greatness,” he said.
Ultimately, Moore plans to pursue his doctorate degree and inspire others along the way.
“It was not common for me to do what I was doing and navigate those spaces and be a part of all of these clubs, but I was at a place in my life where I was not going to allow anybody else to tell me what I could and could not do,” he said. “If the door was open for me, I was kicking it down. So that’s what I would encourage others to do. Kick the doors down. You can achieve whatever you want to. It’s never too late. And don’t allow anybody to ever make you feel that it’s too late.”
