About Adrian Preston Brown
Adrian Preston Brown—Preston, to most, is building his future brick by brick. He was born in Orlando, Florida, and resides in Charlotte, North Carolina. Currently a Central Piedmont Community College student, Preston has a 4.0 GPA over two consecutive semesters. But that’s just the number, not the story of family and resistance beneath it.
College can be overwhelming for anyone. Classes, assignments, time management—it’s a lot. For Preston, though, the journey wasn’t linear nor explicit: There were countless obstacles and moments when he didn’t know what’d happen next, yet rather than crumbling under pressure, he focused on what mattered most to him: family.
Family matters most to him. Preston credits them with why he’s still here, showing up, and moving forward. Through all the difficult moments, his family stayed steady and supportive, helping him regain his footing while reminding him of what he could do.
Driven by Discipline
Preston isn’t just a student—he’s a runner who doesn’t just jog for fun. He’s currently training for a marathon, demanding serious time, focus, and endurance. It requires significant time and effort, including consistent long runs, speed work, and strength training, all while managing physical and mental fatigue.
But for Preston, it’s more than physical exertion; it’s a mental release, where he empties his mind, challenges himself, and practices resilience. There’s also something about running, especially marathons, akin to his academic life. It’s slow, unrelenting progress. It’s staying on track and going even when you don’t want to. The finish line doesn’t come any quicker, and that’s fine with him. He’s all about the process, in the classroom or on the road.
A Purposeful Scholar
Academically, Preston has set himself apart. He is a Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society member, which focuses on high-achieving students at two-year colleges. To him, earning membership into the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society is more than just the good grades he’s earned. It’s about leadership, service, and integrity—key things that Preston values.
He didn’t get into the Honor Society by accident. He had to work hard, especially for his grades, to accomplish that while also juggling personal goals and commitments with his family. And that’s important to him not just to be successful but to do it the right way.
Giving Back Quietly and Showing Up When It Counts
Even with school and training, Preston makes time to volunteer. He’s coached at youth camps and helped with ski programs in Colorado. More recently, he’s signed up to volunteer at Second Harvest Food Bank in Charlotte. His approach to giving back is simple: if he can help, he will.
Preston does not gravitate towards the spotlight, but sometimes, he ends up in the middle of important moments anyway. On May 14th, he’ll marshal Central Piedmont’s graduation ceremony at Bojangles Coliseum. It’s not a flashy role, of course, but it matters to him. He feels included and part of something special. Best of all, it allows him to rally around his student peers as they celebrate a huge milestone.
And that is who Preston is—showing up when it counts, being dependable, and doing the work, even when no one’s watching. That kind of consistency is rare, which sets him apart.
The Power of Small Steps
Preston’s story isn’t a rags-to-riches tale. It’s not an overnight-success-sensation Internet myth either. Instead, it’s about the small steps—consistent progress and daily choices not to give up. In a world obsessed with viral success stories, this type of progress often goes unnoticed or uncelebrated—but Preston knows better. He’s seen what being relentless can achieve.
Whether it’s his studies, volunteer work, or marathon training, he keeps building. He keeps moving forward, and eventually, those efforts amount to something tangible.
From Florida to Charlotte, with Purpose
While Preston now lives in Charlotte, his roots are in Florida. There are still traces of Preston Brown in Florida, alluding to his early days as a young man who was just getting started—but already moving with purpose. He doesn’t chase attention, but the strength of his work, the clarity of his goals, and the way he carries himself speak volumes.
More than Just a Student
It’s easy to label Preston as a “student,” but that doesn’t fully describe who he is. He’s a son, a volunteer, a runner, a teammate, and a friend. He’s learning to carry responsibility, care about others, and hold onto who he is in the middle of it all.
He’s not afraid of the hard stuff. That’s where he thrives. When life gets difficult, Preston digs in. He figures it out. And that mindset will carry him far—no matter what he chooses to do next.
What’s next for Preston Brown?
He’s not rushing to answer that. Right now, he’s focused on finishing the semester strong, hitting his running goals, and keeping his promises. The future is wide open, but Preston isn’t in a hurry. He’s more interested in doing things right than doing them fast.
He’s learned that slow growth is still growth. And he knows that the people who stick with it, even when it’s hard, are the ones who make something of themselves. That’s the direction Adrian Preston Brown is heading. And he’s taking every step with intention.