In this episode of Humans of Iowa State, Brimah Vonjo Jr., the residence hall coordinator for Linden Hall, discussed what led him to Iowa State, what sparked an interest in residence hall life and his passion for basketball. 

“My father was born and raised in a country out west in Africa called Sierra Leone,” Vonjo Jr. said. “My mother was born in Connecticut and raised in Long Island, New York. At some point, they met, married and I was their firstborn.”

Vonjo Jr. was born in Los Angeles to an immigrant father and an American mother. He grew up in the Los Angeles school district, attending school year-round. Upon his parents’ separation, he moved with his father to Orange County and began attending school in the typical nine-month rotation.

“As a kid, I had the privilege of meeting people from all around the world,” Vonjo Jr. said. “Although I was spending a lot of time in Los Angeles or the southern California area, it gave me an opportunity to get a broad worldview.”

Vonjo Jr.’s family highly valued education and placed him in preschool at an early age. Vonjo Jr. attributes his skill and advancement in education to this extra year of schooling. 

“Before LAUSD (Los Angeles Public School District) I got the opportunity to go to preschool,” Vonjo Jr. said. “Education was really important to my grandmother back in Africa. She once encountered some really young people that worked for the government there, and she asked them how they were elevated to such a high station at so young in life. They told her that education was key.”

While in public school, Vonjo Jr. found a passion for basketball and went to various universities to play. After some time, he connected with a program that helped collegiate basketball players find a professional career, leading him to residence hall life.

“I wound up by the 12th grade playing varsity basketball in Los Angeles,” Vonjo Jr. said. “I continued on as a student-athlete at LA Southwest College. And then, my young life got interesting.”

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To view the rest of Vonjo Jr.’s story, click the watch link at the top of the article.