For Brandon Laurent, the trail to tutorial success has been something however typical. A U.S. Navy veteran, style photographer, and soon-to-be Ph.D. pupil, Laurent’s story is one among perseverance, objective, and a deep dedication to cultural advocacy.
This spring, Laurent graduated with a Grasp of Arts in Communication Research from Cal State LA. The 32-year-old Burbank resident is a part of Cal State LA’s Class of 2025 and has participated within the Graduation ceremony for the Faculty of Arts and Letters on Wednesday, Might 21, on the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles.
His journey to this milestone has been marked by exceptional accomplishments, together with acceptance into the College of Connecticut’s (UConn) prestigious Communication Ph.D. program.
He’ll start his doctoral research in fall 2025 via an Influence Scholar Fellowship and Distinguished Graduate Fellowship, awarded to fewer than 1% of incoming graduate college students. Laurent has additionally secured a graduate assistantship, which acknowledges his dedication to analysis and instructing.
“I’ll be attending UConn within the fall, the place I sit up for furthering my research and turning into extra grounded within the discipline of communication and the opposite disciplines it interacts with,” Laurent stated. “My profession aim is to change into a scholar focusing totally on well being communication, interpersonal communication, and the areas the place they meet.”
A primary-generation school graduate and proud St. Lucian American, Laurent attended Kingsborough Group Faculty in Brooklyn, New York, after serving 5 years within the U.S. Military. He later transferred to Cal State LA, the place he accomplished his undergraduate diploma earlier than persevering with on to graduate research in communication.
As a instructing affiliate, Laurent taught a number of sections of public talking every semester. He stated, “The power to change into a instructing affiliate has straight influenced my success as a graduate pupil. As an teacher of document, I refined instruments like reflexivity, group, and self-discipline, which have positively affected how I present up as a pupil.”
Laurent’s grasp’s thesis, “Navigating Increased Training with an Invisible Power Sickness,” attracts from his private expertise of dwelling with most cancers.
“I’ve been dwelling with most cancers since my junior yr of faculty and thru all of grad college,” he stated. “I do know I’m not alone in dealing with robust challenges at Cal State LA, however I’m actually happy with how I’ve not solely made it via, however discovered methods to thrive alongside the best way.”
In 2024, Laurent introduced his analysis on the Nationwide Communication Affiliation Convention. His undertaking, “Soul Meals: Cultural Foreign money and a Preserver of Black Diasporic Historical past,” analyzed the Netflix docuseries Excessive on the Hog to discover how meals operates as a cultural image, preserving oral historical past and identification throughout the Black diaspora.
“I argued that Soul Meals is a supportive image of ingenuity and a preserver of oral historical past, whereas additionally being the connecting thread between the Black Diaspora as a collective,” he stated.
Laurent credit his tutorial success to the mentorship of Cal State LA school, notably Professor Angela Cooke-Jackson.
“Dr. Cooke-Jackson has been a mentor all through my undergraduate and graduate college profession,” he stated, attributing her steerage and perception in him to shaping his identification as a scholar.
Along with his tutorial pursuits, Laurent is a style photographer whose work facilities on Black cultural illustration.
“Style images [is] why I initially moved to L.A.,” he stated. “Sharing the wealthy depth and unfathomable grasp of Black tradition all through the world is paramount to me and the imagery I create.”
He encourages fellow college students, notably veterans, to think about Cal State LA.
“I’d positively advocate Cal State LA to others, particularly fellow veterans,” he stated. “My recommendation to potential college students: it doesn’t matter what, have a recreation plan for the following chapter of your journey. It’s one of the best ways to be sure you get probably the most out of the expertise.”
Laurent’s time at Cal State LA has been outlined by his unwavering dedication to uplifting others via scholarship and illustration. As he prepares for the following chapter at UConn, his contributions proceed to resonate throughout campus and past.
A nomination letter for Laurent acknowledged: “Brandon is a useful a part of the school and college’s mission, highlighting how ‘We Are LA’ via our funding in those that foster areas of inclusion and mental progress.”
