“Honestly, I’m speechless,” said UMass Communication major, Jonathan Brown ‘26, after he learned he received a Lynch Scholarship. “It’s amazing and I’m extremely grateful,” he added.
The Lynch Scholarship is based on a student's high-level academic performance and interest in the study of Communication.
Brown is both an accomplished student and a student leader. He is on the Dean’s List and won a Communication Award in Speech and Performance. He also represents the Communication Department on the Dean’s Student Advisory Council (DSAC) for the College of Social & Behavioral Sciences. In addition, he is a Communication Peer Advisor.
Besides majoring in Communication, Brown has a minor in Political Science and is earning a Certificate in Design and Creative Technologies in the Art Department.
Getting the Lynch Scholarship was unexpected, he said. Before majoring in Communication he saw himself as a student who would never speak in class, even if he had something to say. But today, Brown is an active, engaged learner, who brings his whole self to the classroom.
“Being recognized for that stuff, especially a scholarship, whoa! It’s amazing,” he said.
When he first took introductory Communication courses, he found the faculty to be both open and welcoming. The courses spurred his interest in what he describes as a “caring” discipline that is "more about listening than memorizing."
He said Communication classes involve “emotionally active work,” including courses he took on race in America with professors Roopali Mukherjee and Kimberlee Pérez.
“I just find this work really engaging,” he said. “Tackling these difficult topics with vulnerability and honesty and shared emotion.”
His studies have inspired him to want to become a social scientist.
“What I want to do is pursue a PhD and become a professor,” he said. “You are able to bring a lot of creativity to being a professor: the way you teach your courses or the way you do your research.”
Merging social science with creativity would bring together different parts of his life. Outside of academia, Brown is a musician, who writes and performs modern indie folk.
Each year, Communication students with outstanding records of scholarship and leadership are considered for the Lynch Scholarship. Brown’s academic excellence, intellectual drive, and campus contributions made him a standout choice.