TTO – RuQuan Brown – captain of the high school football team, anti-gun violence activist in Washington D.C – was invited to study at 25 prestigious universities in the US.
This 17-year-old student received full scholarship offers from many Ivy League schools such as Harvard, Yale, and Princeton.
CNN described Brown as a multi-talented student with academic achievements, football talent, and enthusiasm for pursuing meaningful social activities.
Many universities want Brown on their football team. Having been passionate about football since childhood, but because Benjamin Banneker High School where he was studying did not have a team, Brown had to “travel” to play at Theodore Roosevelt High School (Los Angeles, California).
With his talent and leadership qualities, Brown quickly became an indispensable member of the team and was trusted with the captain’s armband.
In 2017, Brown led the team to win the championship in the Los Angeles High School tournament, attracting the attention of many universities.
In terms of academic achievement, Brown’s average score is 3.9/4.0, ranking first at Benjamin Banneker High School – one of the top schools in Washington D.C.
Brown was also elected president of the school’s student body. Anita Berger – Principal of Benjamin Banneker School – said Brown is a well-rounded student both in and out of the classroom with a strong desire to contribute to the community.
Brown was previously haunted by the loss of his stepfather and a close friend on the football team to gun violence.
“My stepfather taught me how to play football, taught me life lessons like self-respect, responsibility to family and the community. He was truly my role model and hero, so when he passed away, I was devastated,” Brown said.
Overcoming the pain, in early 2019, Brown founded Love1, a company with the goal of raising awareness to end gun violence. The number “1” in Brown’s company name is a tribute to his deceased best friend’s jersey number.
Born on the day her stepfather passed away, Love1 sells protective clothing for guns. In addition to her own projects, Love1 donates 20% of her revenue to One Gun Gone – an anti-gun violence project in Rhode Island (USA).
One Gun Gone specializes in buying back guns and turning them into works of art instead of weapons. Scott Lapham – project director – commented that Brown has turned pain into positive activities for society.
Sharing about the future, Brown said that no matter which university she chooses to attend, she still holds on to her dream of continuing to fight against gun violence.
“No matter how many guns we eliminate, we are still at risk of dying from violence – Brown said – People kill each other not because guns exist, but because they lack love in their hearts, in their families and in society.”
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