Brinkley-Lane Profile: DeShawn Standard Jr.
DeShawn Standard Jr. and his family moved to Ballantyne, a neighborhood in south Charlotte from Haverhill, Massachusetts, just north of Boston, when he was midway through high school.
Ardrey Kell High School, where he landed after moving south, is much bigger than his previous school, but he said he found his place. He’s president of Knights Building Knights, a not-for-profit organization “dedicated to helping young black and Hispanic men to navigate the school system as a minority,” Standard said.
Standard also currently serves as president of the Ardrey Kell Black Student Union, which “has been a huge part of my high school experience and personal growth,” he said.
He is deeply involved with Toastmasters International, a public speaking organization that helps builds confidence and self-esteem in its members. He has excelled in the organization, becoming Toastmaster’s certified and having participated in a Toastmaster’s regional competition.
His parents were both first generation college students, so continuing his education after high school was an expectation, like he is “carrying that torch,” especially coming from an academically rigorous high school.
While his is a family that puts emphasis on the value of higher education, his determination to pursue a career in health care is a first.
It was the HEROES Healthcare Careers Connection program with Atrium Health, which exposes teens to jobs in health care, which first inspired him to pursue nursing at East Carolina University.
“I knew I wanted to be in health care, whether that was as a medical doctor, PA or nursing. In shadowing different nurses, PAs and doctors, seeing all their roles, I was really interested in bedside nursing and patient care,” Standard said.
Spending time with a nurse practitioner who worked in a neurosurgery outpatient clinic, sealed the deal for him. The autonomy that he witnessed was empowering, he said, especially because the care being rendered helped to address one of his passions – disparities in health care delivery.
“I thought, ‘This can be my role,’” he said.
Standard’s family has been affected by mental health challenges, he said, so an eventual career as a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner would be fulfilling. He’s also open to helping patients in an intensive care setting or as a certified registered nurse anesthetist.
He had other opportunities at schools across the state, but his visit to ECU for the Brinkley-Lane program’s in-person interviews — known as Selection Sunday — was where he realized ECU was the only real option for him.
“During Selection Sunday when I was going through the interview process with the other brilliant scholars, I saw that every one of the finalists was so high achieving. Instead of feeling intimidated, I feel like I can join the Brinkley-Lane community because we’re all future change makers,” Standard said.
Brinkley-Lane Scholars is the most prestigious undergraduate award program offered at ECU. The four-year merit scholarship recognizes outstanding academic performance, commitment to community engagement and strong leadership skills. Recipients receive a fully funded education, covering the cost of tuition, fees, room and board for both in-state and out-of-state students and unique high impact experiences, as well as the ability to explore the world with a $5,000 study abroad stipend. Scholars benefit from access to an array of leadership opportunities, research with award-winning faculty and a robust alumni network.
Part of the benefit of selection as a Brinkley-Lane Scholar is the requirement for a study abroad semester. Standard said he already has a good sense of what he wants to achieve with his time learning away from ECU, hopefully in Guatemala, which would complement his planned Hispanic studies minor.
“My passion for global health and studying abroad started during a service trip to Belize City, Belize, where I experienced firsthand the healthcare challenges faced by underserved communities. That experience not only deepened my commitment to pursuing a career as a nurse practitioner but also inspired one of my long-term goals to volunteer with Doctors Without Borders,” Standard said.
Games at Dowdy-Ficklen, perhaps pledging for a fraternity, studying overseas — all are part of the excitement he sees in his future as a Pirate. When he opened his acceptance letter inviting him to be a Brinkley-Lane Scholar, Standard said the promise of being part of a community is what most excited him about his future at ECU.
“It’s beautiful to see such a diverse group of students, who have broad interests, come together and collaborate, to have community with one another, bouncing off ideas help each other grow,” Standard said.
“Instead of feeling intimidated, I feel like I can join the Brinkley-Lane community because we’re all future changemakers.”
High school: Ardrey Kell High School
Intended major: Nursing
Current City: Charlotte