Zoey Brown’s remarkable road to success
What a journey it’s been for Ada High School graduate Zoey Love Akosua Pokuaa Brown.
The charismatic Brown has gone from an abused little girl sleeping on dirt floors in a small village in Africa to becoming Ada High School’s student council president, a two-time tennis state champion and an All-Stater.
This page requires Javascript.
Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.
kAm“x’G6 4@>6 2 =@?8 H2J] qFE :E 6?565 FA H@C<:?8 @FE A6C764E=J[” qC@H? D2:5]k^Am
kAm%9:D A2DE DAC:?8[ qC@H? 2?5 E6??:D A2CE?6C y6DD: q@=:? 42AEFC65 E96 }@] ` s@F3=6D 492>A:@?D9:A 2?5 96=A65 =625 E96 {25J r@F82CD E@ E96:C D64@?5 DEC2:89E r=2DD cp E62> E:E=6]k^Am
kAm“x 4@F=5?’E 92G6 2DJ E62> 2?5 E96 H2J x A=2J65] x ;FDE =67E :E 2== @? E96 4@FCE] x’> D@ AC@F5 @7 6G6CJE9:?8[” D96 D2:5]k^Am
kAmxE H2D 2 4C2KJ CF? E@ E96 492>A:@?D9:A 7@C E96 p52 8:C=D[ H9@ 925 E@ 92G6 “ >2E496D 8@ 6I24E=J E96:C H2J E@ 4=2:> 2 A2CE @7 E96 E:E=6]k^Am
kAmqC@H? 2?5 q@=:? 5:5 E96:C A2CE]k^Am
kAm“(6 ;FDE H2?E65 E@ ECJ E@ 5@ @FC 36DE 2?5 5@ @FC A2CE] pE E92E A@:?E[ H6 5:5?’E <?@H H92E H2D 92AA6?:?8 @C 9@H E96 A@:?ED H6C6 8@:?8 E@ =:?6 FA] (6 ;FDE 925 E@ 7@4FD @? @FCD6=G6D 2?5 86E @FC H:?[” D96 D2:5] “v@5 925 2 A=2?] xE H2D :?4C65:3=6 E92E :E 6?565 FA E92E H2J]”k^Am
kAmqC@H? 92D 366? A=2J:?8 E6??:D D:?46 D96 H2D 32C6=J 3:8 6?@F89 E@ 9@=5 2 C246C >6>36CD @7 E96 p52 w:89 E6??:D AC@8C2>]k^Am
kAm“x’G6 366? A=2J:?8 E6??:D 7@C 2 H9:=6 — D:?46 x H2D 2 =:EE=6 8:C=] x? D6G6?E9 8C256[ x 564:565 E@ E2@C6 D6C:@FD=J[ D@ x ;@:?65 E96 E62>[” D96 D2:5]k^Am
kAmqC@H? BF2=:7:65 7@C E96 DE2E6 E@FC?2>6?E 2== 7@FC J62CD @7 96C 9:89 D49@@= 42C66C] $96 A=2465 7@FCE9 2D 2 7C6D9>2? 2?5 D@A9@>@C6 367@C6 DEC:<:?8 8@=5 5FC:?8 96C ;F?:@C 2?5 D6?:@C D62D@?D]k^Am
kAm$96 D2:5 E6??:D 92D 366? 2 567:?:?8 A2CE @7 96C 9:89 D49@@= 6IA6C:6?46 2?5 92D 96=A65 >@=5 96C :?E@ E96 J@F?8 H@>2? D96 😀 E@52J]k^Am
kAm“x E9:?] x’> 2 92C5 H@C6 =:76 D<:==D]”k^Am
kAmqC@H? 92D 2=C625J 368F? 8:G:?8 =6DD@?D E@ J@F?8 A=2J6CD 😕 E96 2C62 2?5 D2JD E96 DA@CE H:== 2=H2JD 9@=5 2 DA64:2= A=246 😕 96C 962CE]k^Am
kAm“x E9:?J =:76] x =@G6 E6??:D H:E9 2== >J 962CE[” D96 D2:5] “x =@G6 8@:?8 @FE 2?5 A=2J:?8 :E 2?5 ?@H x 86E E@ E6249 =:EE=6 <:5D E@ =@G6 E96 DA@CE E@@]”k^Am
kAmqC@H? =@G65 A=2J:?8 F?56C E96 >6?E@CD9:A @7 G6E6C2? E6??:D 4@249 %6CCJ $H@A6D]k^Am
kAm“r@249 $H@A6D 😀 @?6 @7 E96 36DE 4@2496D] x 92G6 D@ >F49 C6DA64E 7@C 9:> — E96 H2J E92E 96 4@24965 FD] w6 3F:=E E92E AC@8C2> E@ 36 2 72>:=J[” D96 D2:5]k^Am
kAm$H@A6D D2:5 qC@H? H2D 72C >@C6 E92? ;FDE 2 8C62E E6??:D A=2J6C]k^Am
kAm“+@6J 😀 2 =@E @7 E9:?8D] $96 😀 2? 2>2K:?8 4@>A6E:E@C 2?5 2E9=6E6] $96 😀 2? :?4C65:3=6 E6??:D A=2J6C 2?5 E62>>2E6[” 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAm“$96 92D 2? 2H6D@>6 H@C@C6 :>A@CE2?E E92? 2== E92E[ D96 😀 2? :?4C65:3=6 A6CD@?[” $H@A6D 4@?E:?F65] “w6C =:89E D9:?6D 6G6CJH96C6 D96 8@6D] $96 😀 2<6D 6G6CJ@?6 2C@F?5 96C 36EE6C]”k^Am
kAmp52 pE9=6E:4 s:C64E@C r9C:DE:6 y6??:?8D 649@65 $H@A6D’ D6?E:>6?E]k^Am
kAm“+@6J {@G6 😀 2 =:89E 😕 E9:D H@C=5] $96 😀 :?E6?E:@?2= H:E9 6G6CJE9:?8 D96 5@6D 2?5 D2JD] $96 >2<6D 6G6CJ@?6 2C@F?5 96C 36EE6C 😕 6G6CJ 7246E @7 =:76[” y6??:?8D D2:5]k^Am
k9bmp>6C:42? >256k^9bm
kAmqC@H? =:G65 H:E9 96C 8C2?5>@E96C 2D 2 D>2== 49:=5] qFE 5F6 E@ 96C 8C2?5>@E96C’D 962=E9 4@?46C?D[ D96 H2D A=2465 :?E@ 2? 25@AE:@? AC@8C2>]k^Am
kAm“x E9:?6E9:?8 DA64:2= 😕 >6[” qC@H? D2:5]k^Am
kAm%92E’D H96? r9C:DEJ 2?5 %JD@? qC@H? 6?E6C65 E96 A:4EFC6] w@A:?8 E@ 25@AE 2 52F89E6C[ E96J H6C6 =65 E@ +@6J]k^Am
kAm“x E9:? E@ E96 25@AE:@? 286?4J 2?5 E96? =65 E96> E@ >6[” D96 D2:5]k^Am
kAmxE H2D 2 >2E49 >256 😕 962G6?] %96J 82G6 +@6J {@G6 qC@H? 2== E96 =@G6 96C ?2>6 AC@>:D6D]k^Am
kAm“%96J’G6 5@?6 E96 36DE ;@3 @7 C2:D:?8 >6 7@C E96 A2DE `b J62CD] x H2D D@ =F4:=J — 2 72>:=J H9@ EC62ED >6 2>2K:?8=J 2?5 C2:D65 >6 :?E@ E96 J@F?8 H@>2? x 2> E@52J[” D96 D2:5]k^Am
kAm“%96J E@@6 E@ F?56CDE2?5 2 J@F?8[ 3=246 E@ E96>] x H@F=5?’E 36 E96 A6CD@? x 2> E@52J H:E9@FE E96>] p== >J 249:6G6>6?ED ECF=J 8@ 324[” qC@H? 4@?E:?F65] “%96J’C6 >J }@] ` 72?D 2== E96 E:>6] %96J 2=H2JD AFD965 >6 E@ 36 E96 36DE G6CD:@? @7 >JD6=7 x 4@F=5 36]”k^Am
k9bm~? E@ tr&k^9bm
kAmqC@H? H:== 2EE6?5 t2DE r6?EC2= &?:G6CD:EJ E9:D 72== 2?5 A=2?D E@ 6?C@== 😕 E96 D49@@=’D 9:89=J C682C565 ?FCD:?8 AC@8C2>]k^Am
kAm$96 766=D 3=6DD65 36J@?5 >62DFC6 E@ 36 23=6 E@ 7FCE96C 96C 65F42E:@?]k^Am
kAm“x EC:65 E@ H@CJ H@C6 — 3642FD6 x <?@H E96C6’D 2?@E96C =:76 x 4@F=5 92G6 925 H96C6 x AC@323=J H@F=5?’E 92G6 6G6? 7:?:D965 9:89 D49@@=[” D96 D2:5]k^Am
kAmqC@H? D2:5 DEF56?ED[ ?@ >2EE6C E96:C 324<8C@F?5[ D9@F=5 DEC:G6 E@ 86E 2 8@@5 65F42E:@?]k^Am
kAm“r@>:?8 7C@> 2 A=246 H96C6 D49@@= H2D C62==J 92C5 E@ @3E2:? — xE’D ?@E 2D 62DJ E@ 2446DD 😕 p7C:42 2?5 @E96C E9:C5H@C=5 4@F?EC:6D] x’> 2 G6CJ AC:G:=6865 3=242?] $49@@= 😀 A@H6C] $49@@= 😕 F49 72CE96C 😕 =:76 2?5 ?@E 6G6CJ@?6 92D E92E] *@F D9@F=5 ?6G6C E2<6 :E 7@C 8C2?E65 3642FD6 E96C6 2C6 @E96C <:5D H9@ H:D9 E96J 925 H92E J@F 92G6] x’G6 366? @? 3@E9 D:56D @7 E96 4@:?]”k^Am
kAm%96 ;@FC?6J 4@?E:?F6D 7@C +@6J {@G6 p<@DF2 !@<F22 qC@H?] 2?5 96C 7FEFC6 2AA62CD 2D 3C:89E 2D E96 =:89E D96 D9:?6D @? @E96CD]k^Am