Name: Brandon Fields
Year: Sophomore
Major: Journalism and mass communication
Hometown: St. Albans, Queens, New York
After living out his early childhood in Decatur, Alabama, before moving to Queens, New York for his secondary education, Brandon Fields had already acquired an interesting set of social and personal perspectives. With a smile that can be easily spotted from a mile away, and a laugh that can undoubtedly fill a vacant room, he was unknowingly born a “Bonnie.”
While his recent, and ever-so-impressive, endeavors have led him to collegiate success—only in three semester’s time—he accredits his early moral development to his parents, Teara Connelly-Fields and Brandon Fields Sr. Teara, the founder of Women of Extreme Vision, a non-profit, domestic abuse aid-based organization. They have raised Fields with both a sense of faith and a love for life at large. Fields Sr. has provided his son with a sense of self-assuredness and strength—something Fields’ friends can most definitely attest to
Taking his early childhood relocation, and combining it with the drive instilled in him at an early age, Fields said he had an easy assimilation into the collegiate environment. Right off the bat, he began his freshman year as a hip-hop radio show host. His show—alongside friend Lucas Sperduti, a sophomore journalism and mass communication major—has been kindly greeted by the Bonaventure community and has gained a major following among students. During his freshman year, Fields stayed focused on his goal of being a role model, leader and advocate for others, which led him onto the 2015-2016 Orientation Team.
Now a sophomore, Fields has continued his leadership in and out of his personal life and has become a consistent writer for “The Bona Venture” newspaper.
Despite the stresses the college environment brings, he’s continuing his second academic year the same way he started his collegiate career: with a vibrant smile and a positive outlook.
Her Campus: “You really seem like the perfect model of the ‘Bonaventure spirit.’ Did you ever realize how well you’d fit in here or was attending Bonaventure more of a risk you took?”
Brandon Fields: “Attending St. Bonaventure definitely was a risk for me. I moved here from Queens, New York, where my high school had twice the amount of students that Bonaventure does. I didn’t really know much about the school before I came here either. I am happy now that I have found my place at Bona’s and keep myself involved on campus.”
HC: “You take your studies and co-curriculum pretty seriously, so, what’s the most valuable lesson your past three semesters of college have taught you?”
BF: “The most important thing I’ve learned here at Bona’s is to not get discouraged. The best of the best have an ‘off day’ from time to time. But how you deal with the inconveniences that life throws really shapes what you get out of life. If something doesn’t go your way then you have to bounce back and deal with it—having an open mind and a positive attitude.”
HC: “You said you personally enjoyed being a part of the Orientation Team. Would you recommend joining the O-Team to other students?”
BF: “I would definitely recommend joining O-Team; it’s the best experience I could have received in four weeks. It’s great getting to work with such a great group of peers, and having the opportunity to welcome the incoming freshman class is really amazing.”
HC: “Ideally, taking your collegiate experiences so far into consideration, where do you see yourself 10 years from now?”
BF: “I see myself in my mansion watching ‘Love and Hip Hop.’ Seriously, well, I see myself working at a big PR firm or as a radio host at one of my favorite radio shows in Manhattan. Maybe I will have a puppy, too.”
HC: “Okay, enough with the serious stuff. What’s your favorite superhero?”
BF: “My favorite superhero would have to be Batman. The main reason is because Batman doesn’t have any super powers, yet he is up there with the big dogs and he is able to keep up.”
HC: “The options are unlimited. If you could be anyone for a day, who would you be?”
BF: “If I could be anyone for a day I would be Jay-Z. The main, and most obvious, reason is because he is married to the beautiful, chocolate goddess Beyoncé. He has a beautiful daughter with her as well. He is also a business tycoon in the entertainment industry. I respect his business ethics and he honestly has the ‘life.’ Plus, his music really hits home with hits like ‘99 Problems’ and ‘Hard Knock Life.’”
HC: “Having such a successful radio show for WSBU’s The Buzz, you must stay up-to-date on what’s happening in music. Who’s your favorite artist right now and why?”
BF: “My favorite artist right now would genuinely be Cousin Stizz. He’s a Boston rapper and I value his raw sound. He has a promising album called Suffolk County and each song is fire.”
HC: “Okay, let’s settle this once and for all: Soda or pop?”
BF: “I’d have to say ‘coke’ because I used to live in Alabama. If you ask anyone in the south what they want to drink, they automatically say ‘coke’ no matter what flavor or brand of drink they want.”