When the words consummate professional are brought up around the campus of Alcorn State University usually the name Gemario Chavez Brooks follows in conversation. This is a man who is humble in his actions which in many instances are not noticed but the impact that he has on others is immeasurable.
Brooks is a resident of the small town of Port Gibson, Mississippi which has the motto of “a town that was to beautiful to burn.” He attended Port Gibson High School (PGHS) where not only was he a scholar but he participated in outside activities such as Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC), being a member of the football team, the marching band, and The Kappa League. After graduating in 2003 from PGHS Brooks contemplated what his new step in life would be. After consulting with his mother Gwendolyn Brooks, a retired school teacher from A.W. Watson Elementary School in Port Gibson and his father George W. Brooks, a retired Supervisor from the National Plastic Plant in Port Gibson, he decided to attend Hinds Community College (HCC) in Utica, Mississippi where he majored in General Studies for two years. While at HCC, Brooks felt out of place and realized he needed a change. Being a faithful member of Greater Saint Martin Missionary Baptist Church in Port Gibson and a very religious individual, Brooks prayed for a sign of enlightenment and what he received was an acceptance letter from Alcorn State University. According to Brooks, “Alcorn was like a breath of fresh air for me. It opened me up to things that Hinds never could. The Institution is rich in culture and tradition and I was thrilled to attend there.”
After enrolling at Alcorn in the Fall of 2005, Brooks decided to major in Print Journalism. “I chose Print Journalism because I love the aspect of being informed about what’s happening in the world. The major gave me an opportunity to explore different avenues of the media and discover something that I really enjoyed doing which was being behind the scenes and producing,” he said. While enrolled at Alcorn, Brooks utilized every opportunity by becoming a member of the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ), National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) and The Mass Communications Club. After graduating in 2008, he took on the unenviable task of finding a job in his major. Chairperson of the Mass Communications Department at Alcorn at the time, Dr. Sherlynn Byrd, mentioned a position that would be available in Alcorn’s radio station, WPRL 91.7 FM. Through much anticipated prayer he received the position as Producer/DJ at the radio station in August of 2008 and remains in that position today.
For his future goals Brooks plans on getting a Master of Arts in Mass Communications to advance his knowledge in the field that he loves so much. Everyone has a motto that is true and dear to their heart and Brooks is no different. The motto that he lives by is, “The best is yet to come.”