This week we bring to you our new Miss Hampton University 2017-18, Brooklyne Baker. Brooklyne Baker is a graduating Senior, Journalism major, Theatre minor from Richmond, VA. She is currently a member of the Greer Dawson Wilson Student Leadership Training Program, a Senior Class Officer, College Girls Senior Ambassador, and a proud Spring ā17 initiate of the Gamma Iota Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. She tirelessly continues to show her dedication and hard work throughout everything she does. Brooklyne enjoys dancing, empowering Black women, blogging, writing screenplays, and bonding with her sisters.
HC: What sparked your interest to become Miss Hampton University?
BB: What sparked my interest was my mom. She was a first generation Hamptonian, so Iāve known the campus for a while and basically when I came here my freshman year I hated Hampton. Girl I did not like Hampton at all and then I just realized like Brooklyne youāre either going to be here and participate or not. I always tell people Hampton is what you make it, so you just really have to throw yourself in here and just figure it out. Once I started joining organizations, first I was on Ebony Fire, then I joined SLP and everything else. I became a class officer and thatās when I really fell in love with Hampton. I really think Hampton cultivated me into the woman that I am today genuinely. Being Miss Hampton University I feel that I can help cultivate other young women to fall in love with Hampton and become the leaders of today.
HC: How do you plan on balancing Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and being Miss Hampton?
BB: That’s a good question. Delta and the work of Miss Hampton kind of go hand and hand. We believe in service first and with my title this year I just plan on working, just serving in every capacity. So my sisters can even come with me and we can do things together or I can do things separately. I just think the work goes hand and hand with Delta. I am the journalist for my organization, so pretty much I just do the social media aspect on that hand. Itās still a big task, but itās definitely something that you can also have other obligations with.
HC: Being a Richmond, VA native did you always want to attend HU?
BB: NO! My mom wanted me so bad to come here. I thought the campus was absolutely beautiful, but I didnāt always know I wanted to go here. Once you come here and then you just feel the love and the family environment then you fall in love with it. I feel like once youāre an alumna or alumni, you just love it and you just have to figure it out for yourself.
HC: Where did you want to go to school?
BB: I didnāt want to go anywhere. I honestly, genuinely did not want to go anywhere. Iām into musical theatre, Iām a theatre minor so genuinely I wanted to move to New York, go audition and just pursue my Broadway career. Then my mom was like, Brooklyne letās try this college thing out and Iām like ugh ok mom, so we made a deal and we said weāre going to try a year. I tried a year and fell in love with it and now Iām Miss Hampton so my mom was like see I told you so.
HC: In honor of Homecoming Week, and being the face of Hampton University, what are your top three events you are most excited for?
BB: Well itās so crazy that Iām looking forward to the coronation. Itās just so crazy, I saw my face on the flyer and Iām just like oh my gosh like this is real. So coronation definitely thatās on Monday and my momās coming sheās so excited. Iām also looking forward to the Fashion Show, a lot of my close friends are the chair of the fashion show and they put so much hard work and dedication into it, so Iām extremely excited to see that come into fruition. The Greek Step Show too, my sisters have also put in a lot of hard work towards that so Iām extremely excited about that.
HC: What are some of your responsibilities as Miss Hampton University, especially during homecoming week?
BB: Okay so I had no clue that itās the anniversary of Miss Hampton so Iām the 60th Miss Hampton. Itās going to be a whole float of all of them. Thatās going to be super cool that I get to meet everybody, so to see something they love so dearly in my hands thatās a huge obligation to me. When it comes to homecoming, for the most part being the face, especially with it being such a monumental year. It being the 150th anniversary and President Harveyās 40th anniversary. Just making sure that I am doing everything that Iām supposed to be doing, speaking well on our behalf and answering any questions, comments or concerns that alumnae have. Making sure that they have the best experience possible.
HC: Do you ever feel pressured to live up to your sisterās accomplishments?
BB: Absolutely, girl yes! I have two amazing sisters that Iām literally obsessed with, but theyāre extremists. My older sister, she just graduated from Columbia University which is an Ivy League and my little sister just dropped out of school. Sheās pursuing her rap career and sheās having major people looking at her so weāre just so gracious that God is moving us in such monumental ways. Then Iām in the middle, Iām Miss Hampton, I feel like God is just really moving on all of our behalves. Itās not so much of pressure because they’re literally my biggest cheerleaders. Itās more so just I know if I tweak or whatever that my sisters will be there for me and same vice versa.
HC: Is there any friendly sibling rivalry? Do you push each other to be better?
BB: Absolutely! Literally, without my sisters, I would not be anything. They are my absolute everything. When it came to my talent you know Braxton is highly musically inclined, so she pretty much made up my dance along with my line sisters so that was a big thing. Braxton, of course, is extremely smart you know in order to rap you have to have metaphors and all that craziness. I donāt know how her mind goes that fast!Ā Then, my other sister, sheās extremely intelligent. She was my interview coach and Jesus she interviewed me all the time. That just shows no matter what field youāre in you can come together and make a dream happen and thatās what they did for me.
HC: Where do you see āThe Good Girl Movementā in the next 5 years?
BB: That question used to stump me OD because pretty much it originally started off as a blog and I just thought that people would maybe feel me I wasnāt sure you know. I just know that this was something that I thought God wanted me to do, but now I have two collegiate campus organizations at two different campuses; one at Shenandoah University and Mississippi University, and Iām about to have one at Winston Salem University. The fact that, thatās just happening so rapidly, I just started this last year is just crazy to me and now that Iām Miss Hampton I can really implement it here at Hampton University. I feel like the skyās the limit for āThe Good Girl Movementā. I did not know that it would take off the way it has. I just still want to instill the humbleness, but I mean weāre going up right now *laughs*.
HC: What do you want to do with your degree?
BB: You know Iām a senior now and I was so lost over the summer time so I went on a fast and I was like āGod, where am I supposed to go because Iām about to graduate?ā So I figured out that Iām applying to film school now and Iām praying to go to film school when I graduate because I realized that I wanted to be a filmmaker. I want to tell stories. I think thatās so amazing that everybody on this earth has a story and I want to be the one to tell that story. My degree with journalism has helped me be able to write plays. Iām actually writing the BHX play thatās happening during Black History Month so thatāll be my first time really launching my creative juices for the world to see. Iām super excited about that, shout out to the Student Leadership Program. When it comes to my theatre minor, I am into acting. I know exactly how to direct, Iām in my directing class now and I know how to tell my actors what to do because Iāve been there. I feel like both my minor and major are really helping me. I didnāt realize that God was really aligning my life to work out the way that it is going.
HC: Dave East, Meek Mill, or A Boogie?
BB: Girl, Dave East is fine like OD fine. Iām not hip to Dave Eastās music unfortunately, I have to do better. I just know that heās fine and I follow him on Instagram and like every picture.
HC: If you could give any advice to your high school self what would it be?
BB: I would say to trust the process. Thatās literally the advice I would tell anybody ever in life genuinely because when I was in high school I was trying to find my way like Iām still trying to find my way. Even my mom, sheās going through things right now and sheās on the way to her breakthrough; so itās just to trust the process genuinely no matter what stage in life that youāre at because God has a plan and where thereās a will thereās a way.
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Be sure to follow Brooklyne on Instagram @hello_brooklyne & Twitter @HelloBrooklyne, & be sure to also follow āThe Good Girl Movementā on Instagram @thegoodgirlmovement!