SPECIAL TO THE TIMES
WINTER PARK – Sara Brown, Branch Manager at the Orange County Library System’s Eatonville Branch spoke “In Conversation” with Valada Flewellyn, historian for the DTJ Branch of the Association For The Study of African American Life and History’s (ASALH), at the Winter Park Library, Winter Park, Florida. Brown manages the activities, programs, and staff at the Eatonville Library, in Eatonville, Florida, the oldest all Black municipality in the country.
With over 35 years of experience in nonprofit public service, project management, public speaking, and community outreach, Brown endeavors daily to fulfill her passion of empowering and inspiring others to dream beyond their perceived limitations. She is the mother of three daughters; she lives in Apopka, Florida with her husband and youngest daughter and is the founder of Success & Beyond Consulting, specializing in motivational speaking, personal finance education, grant management consulting, and “Goal Getter” workshops. A self-proclaimed “Budget Nerd,” Sara is obsessed with budgeting and loves reading personal finance and personal development books. Her favorite book is the Holy Bible.
Brown inspired the audience with the story of how she realized her vision for success through faith and being intentional.
Especially inspired were Taylor, age 10, Noelle, age 8 and Savannah Flewellyn, age 4. The three girls opened the program with the recitation of a poem, “In The Land of Words” by Eloise Greenfield. The girls call themselves, “The Greatness Girls”. When asked to comment on Sara Brown’s presentation Taylor said, “I learned that to get great things in life you have to work, persevere, even when you fall down”. Noelle learned, “you have to move forward, even when things seem hard”. Both girls were impressed at how smart and professional Sara Brown was. Little Savannah said, “She was good”!
Manual Jones, President of ASALH, closed the program with information about future programs and an invitation to join the ASALH at its Annual Black History Month Kick-off Breakfast at the Shiloh Baptist Church, February 1, 2025. For more information visit: www.ASALHDTJ.org
