Meet Dr. Brown
I didn’t take the traditional path to education. I took the path life allowed me to take.
My education journey started years ago, before I had children. Like many adult learners, life happened. I became a working mom, raised four children, and eventually had to put my education on the back burner.
But putting a dream on hold doesn’t always mean giving up on it.
I eventually became a Licensed Practical Nurse and spent several years working in nursing. Education was still something I wanted for myself, but I needed a way to earn a degree that could work with the life I was already living.
That changed when I discovered competency-based education through a program in Detroit.
That opportunity changed the direction of my life.
Competency-based education gave me the flexibility to take ownership of my learning. I relied heavily on self-discipline and my own internal motivation. I learned how to manage my time, set goals, work at my pace, and stay focused on the reason I started.
I became the first graduate of the program, earning my bachelor's degree.
And I didn't stop there.
I went on to earn my master's degree and eventually my doctorate.
If you had told the younger version of me the mom who once had to put school on the back burner that one day people would call me Dr. Brown, I probably would have laughed.
But here I am.
My experience changed the way I see adult learners.
Completing my own education while managing work, family, and everyday responsibilities gave me a different understanding of what adult learners need.
Sometimes the issue isn't ability.
Sometimes life is simply a lot.
Adult learners may be employees, parents, caregivers, spouses, business owners, and so many other things before they ever sit down to complete an assignment.
That's why I believe support for adults has to go beyond telling someone to manage their time better or work harder. People need strategies that make sense for their circumstances. They need encouragement without judgment. They need tools they can actually use. And sometimes they need someone in their corner who understands why the journey isn't always easy.
Why I Created AcceleratEd
AcceleratEd grew from everything I've experienced as a learner, a coach, a professional, and a woman who knows what it's like to keep pursuing something while life continues happening around you.
I created AcceleratEd to provide the kind of support I know can make a difference whether you're finishing a degree, working through a personal goal, or figuring out what you want in a new season of life.
My path wasn't straight.
It took time. It changed directions. There were pauses.
But the dream was still mine.
And that's something I want every person who comes to AcceleratEd to remember about their own story.
Dr. Talisha Brown
Founder, AcceleratEd
Support • Strategy • Succeed