When word reached us early this month that Sheyenne Brown ’09 had been selected as one of 10 Jack Kent Cooke Graduate Arts scholars, our excitement was matched only by a lack of surprise—anyone who has met, seen perform, or even heard of Sheyenne has expected big things of her.

A Posse Scholar at Middlebury who majored in theatre and minored in African American studies and sociology, Sheyenne commanded the community’s attention during her senior year with her stunning one-woman show A Colored Girl’s College Tour. At the same time, she was one of 15 students profiled in the inaugural class of the annual “How Did You get Here?” project; her story has moved many, if not most, listeners to tears.

Since graduating, Sheyenne has taught sixth grade social studies at TEAM Academy in Newark, New Jersey, as a member of the Teach for America Corps. This fall, through support from the Jack Kent Cooke Arts Award, she’ll enroll in the MFA program in theater at Columbia University.

We can’t wait to see what she does next.