President for the Day Provides Insight for Tuskegee Elementary Student

May 15, 2025

President Mark A. Brown shakes hands with President for ra Day Jaidyn J. Smith — *President Mark A. Brown shakes hands with President for a Day Jaidyn J. Smith.*

Contact: Thonnia Lee, Office of Communications, Public Relations, and Marketing

There were a few smiles when Jaidyn Javon Smith walked into the conference room and started the meeting as president of Tuskegee University for the day.

The 10-year-old sat stiffly in the chair at the head of the long table with his hands clasped and fingers braided. His face was as stern as a fifth grader from Tuskegee Public Elementary School could manage in a room filled with grown-ups. But this was his task for the day. Beside him, Dr. Mark A. Brown, President and CEO, whispered directions to keep the meeting moving.

Jaidyn, the son of Tuskegee’s long-time employee Pamela Sparks-Smith, was three-piece-suit-and-tie formal with his best Sunday shoes all day, until down time allowed him to ditch the jacket and be an elementary school student who filled his pockets with sweet treats.

During his day as Dr. Brown’s shadow, Jaidyn sat in on meetings with faculty and staff and toured the College of Agriculture, Environment and Nutrition Sciences, the College of Engineering; and the College of Veterinary Medicine. He said he saw plants growing in organic soil, helped work on a plane and petted a ferret during surgery. “That was mind-blowing!” He also joined Dr. Brown at the Technical School Graduation. He offered Dr. Brown advice on his remarks as keynote speaker and told him simply, “don't talk too long.”

Jaidyn said he thought Dr. Brown would be too busy to spend time with him, but he learned a lot from him that day. He went back to school and told his classmates that Dr. Brown’s office was nice and large and that he learned the meaning of sterile and how important it is to keep the environment clean. He told them how Dr. Brown interacted with Tuskegee University students.

But the highlight of his day was how Dr. Brown showed him how to introduce himself to others. “He said always make eye contact, shake their hands and introduce myself as Mr. Jaidyn Smith.”

And Jaidyn said he left campus with a nickname: 10.5. “I told my family I earned the name 10.5 and they didn’t understand. I told them Dr. Brown was No. 10, and I was 10.5.”