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Master’s student Alexandra Brown earns top CSU award

Biology major overcomes mental health challenges to achieve academic success

By California State University, Bakersfield

September 23^rd, 2024

Alexandra Brown wasn’t far into her education at Bakersfield College when she realized something was wrong.

She was doing poorly in her classes despite her love for learning, being excited to start college and putting in effort to keep up with her work. Brown even took a reduced course load one semester in the hopes that it would help her manage her classes better, but even that was not enough to improve her performance.

“I was really frustrated by that and was dealing with a lot of anxiety,” she said. “I got psyched out thinking college might not be for me. That dream, I just let it deflate like a balloon.”

Brown reached a breaking point one day when she mixed up the date for a math exam. She was unprepared to take the test, having failed to study for it and complete a previous assignment, so she decided not to take it and left the classroom.

“I just sat on a planter and cried. I was thinking ‘this isn’t me. What is happening that’s making me do so poorly,’” she said. “I was so disorganized and really bad at planning and staying on top of everything.”

The incident led Brown to reach out to the student health center on campus for help. The center connected her to a therapist. A few months later, Brown was surprised to find herself diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

“I didn’t believe them. I thought, ‘that’s not right, that’s for young boys. Women don’t have ADHD,’” she said. “After doing some digging online, I found that a lot of girls and women have ADHD and that it’s just not being diagnosed until they’re adults. I realized I have had ADHD for a long time and it just wasn’t noticed.”

Through a combination of therapy and medication, Brown’s mental health began to improve and she started doing better in her classes. She eventually was able to transfer from Bakersfield College in 2019 and began attending California State University, Bakersfield in 2020.

Four years later, Brown holds a bachelor’s degree in biology and is currently pursuing her master’s in the subject. In recognition of her arduous journey, Brown has been selected as one of 23 students across the CSU system to receive its highest student honor: the Trustees’ Award for Outstanding Achievement.

The award is given each year to students who demonstrate superior academic performance, personal accomplishments, excellence in community service and financial need.

Brown will receive a $7,000 scholarship as the 2024 CSU Trustee Emeritus Kenneth Fong Scholar and will be honored with the other award recipients during the CSU Board of Trustees meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 24.

“It’s a huge honor and really exciting. There was a time in my education when I did not foresee this at all as a possibility,” she said. “I have worked really hard to be where I am now, so to feel that has paid off and to be recognized for that is really appreciated.”

Brown’s mother, Adrienne Myers — who works at CSUB as an administrative support assistant for the Center for Career Education and Community Engagement — said she is very proud of her daughter’s achievement.

“I have so much admiration for her talent, perseverance and unwavering dedication to people and issues that she cares about. She has such a genuine love for people, for learning and for life,” she said. “She’s just the best person I know, and an outstanding choice to represent CSUB.”

Assistant Professor of Biology Dr. Rae McNeish, who has been Brown’s adviser, nominated her for the award because she said Brown has proven to be be an exemplary student despite having to overcome a lot of obstacles in her education.

“The selection for Lex to be the CSUB trustee awardee comes as no surprise given that Lex has demonstrated at CSUB achievement over adversity, academic rigor and has volunteered her time to her peers, mentees and broader Bakersfield communities,” she said.

Interim President Vernon B. Harper Jr. agreed that Brown has shown herself to be a distinguished student who is deserving of the Trustees’ Award.

“Alexandra is an extraordinary example of CSUB resilience and excellence,” he said. “She has shown incredible determination in managing a disorder that threatened to derail her college dreams, but she didn’t stop there. Her passion and advocacy on behalf of the endangered San Joaquin kit fox has raised awareness on our campus, and her research on water pollution has the power to improve the health and wellness of our entire community. We are so proud of Alexandra and can’t wait to see how far her talent will take her.”

Brown at Camp KEEP on the central coast during sixth grade. — Brown developed a love for marine science after visiting Camp KEEP on the central coast during sixth grade.

'A dream come true'

Brown, a Bakersfield native, developed an interest in science in sixth grade that has lasted the rest of her life. She especially became interested in marine animals after participating in Camp KEEP, an outdoor science program on the central coast.

“I really fell in love with the ocean. It felt so special and so cool,” she said.

When the time came to think about college, Brown knew she wanted to pursue a career in science but wasn’t sure which type to specialize in. After taking a few science courses at Bakersfield College, she found that she liked biology the most and chose that as her major.

It wasn’t until she came to CSUB, however, that Brown decided she wanted to focus specifically on aquatic science. While pursuing her biology degree, she was selected for a Scripps Undergraduate Research Fellowship at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego in summer 2021.

It was Brown’s first experience conducting research. She enjoyed it so much that it sparked her desire to get involved with research at CSUB. After returning to the university the following fall, Brown was able to join Dr. McNeish’s lab and participate in her research on microplastic pollution in freshwater and marine environments.

Brown has remained involved with the lab throughout both her undergraduate and master’s programs.

“It’s been a really cool experience. I really like being in the lab,” she said. “Being able to work on my own research and mentor other students in the lab has been really rewarding to me.”

Brown hasn’t just been focused on her academics, however. She has been actively involved on campus through her participation in several clubs, including Students for Sustainability and the Kit Fox Society.

Brown also served as the director of students with disabilities for Associated Students Inc. during her senior year. She was able to help advocate for students at meetings to help address accessibility concerns.

“That was a really nice way to connect with other people with disabilities and own being somebody who has a cognitive disability,” she said. “I was really excited to be a part of that.”

Brown graduated from CSUB with her bachelor’s in 2022, an accomplishment she at one time doubted she would be able to reach.

“I couldn’t believe it because it truly felt impossible. It took me seven years to get that degree,” she said. “It was a dream come true. What’s crazy is I have so many bigger dreams now.”

The first of those dreams was graduate school. She has been pursuing her master’s since fall 2023 with the goal of graduating in 2025. Her thesis work involves researching the impact of human-caused plastic pollution on fish and shellfish in California estuaries and other marine-protected areas.

“Lex’s research is timely because the state of California has passed several legislative mandates aimed to better understand the occurrence and potential impacts of microplastic pollution across the state,” Dr. McNeish said.

In addition to her schoolwork, Brown has also been gaining work experience as an educator. After obtaining her bachelor’s degree, she took a year off before starting her graduate program, during which she worked as a substitute teacher for the Kern High School District.

Brown has also had experience teaching science to younger students as part of the Kern County Superintendent of Schools’ Summer STEAM Camp.

Brown is currently working as a student research assistant in Dr. McNeish’s lab and as a teaching associate for the Biology Department, through which she is able to teach some class labs.

“I love learning, and being able to share that with somebody is such a cool and exciting experience,” she said. “Part of what made me love science was having fantastic science educators who were passionate about it. They thought it was cool, so you thought it was cool. I want to be someone’s cool science teacher.”

Brown graduated with her bachelor's in biology in 2022.

'I'm taking CSUB with me'

Brown believes she wouldn’t be on the path she is now if she hadn’t sought help while at Bakersfield College. Although she wishes she would have done so sooner, Brown said that experience ultimately helped make her a stronger person.

“I’m really grateful I went through that struggle because it opened my eyes,” she said. “I felt like I was failing at being an adult for a while before I did actually seek help and go through it. Now I have so many tools and mechanisms to stay on top of all the things I need to do so I can be successful.”

Brown struggled at first to be kind to herself while seeking treatment for her ADHD, but eventually she said she was able to come to terms with it. She believes that significantly helped her improve both her mental health and her academic performance.

“It really taught me to give myself a lot of grace,” Brown said. “I really blamed myself, which was so unkind. I’m really sad that I did that to myself, but now I’m so grateful. I’ve given myself the patience to get to where I want to be. It’s turned out more beautifully than I could have imagined. It’s really been an exciting journey to see myself grow, and I can push myself more and learn from these experiences in a positive way.”

Myers said it was difficult to watch her daughter struggle with her mental health, especially since she didn’t know what was wrong or what she could do to help.

“It wasn’t clear to me or her teachers why some things seemed so easy for her, and others were such a challenge. Her potential was obvious but often went unfulfilled,” she said. “When she was diagnosed with ADHD and began treatment, it was a relief to see the burden she was carrying begin to lift. The change in her self-confidence and academic performance was almost immediate once her disability was recognized and treated. I am proud of the way she has advocated for herself and others.”

Brown doesn’t plan to end her education with a master’s degree. She’s already in the process of looking at Ph.D. programs in marine biology and biological oceanography. Her goal is to become a professor at a university where she can continue to do research.

Dr. McNeish is confident that Brown will go on to develop a successful career.

“I believe that Lex’s previous academic record, research experiences, teamwork ethic and her desire to be successful serve as evidence that she is developing the necessary qualities and skills needed to lead her towards a successful career in aquatic ecology,” she said. “It has been a privilege to watch Lex develop her academic and research interests over the years. I look forward to her future successes as she continues down her chosen career path.”

Having spent a lot of time at CSUB, Brown knows she will be sad to leave the university after earning her master’s, but she believes it is because of her experience at the university that she can realize her career goals.

“I feel like I’ve done so much here and built so much of who I am here,” she said. “I know I’m going to miss CSUB, but I’m also taking CSUB with me. It will be a part of me wherever I go.”