Senior Spotlight: Collin Brown


The class of 2022 is getting ready to graduate! We are excited to showcase our seniors as they prepare for commencement. Our first senior spotlight is Collin Brown of Waukee Northwest High School.

Collin’s reached an impressive level of academic excellence, while staying dedicated to his extracurricular activities. In addition to taking several AP classes, maintaining a 4.15 GPA, and being involved in National Honor Society, Collin participated in four years of Mock Trial. He was awarded “All-State Attorney” during one of his recent competitions. Collin is also involved in band, where he played tuba and baritone saxophone.

He participated in marching band throughout high school and was the section leader for the low reeds. His experience in band led him to participate in Drum Corps, where he performed with a professional level ensemble called Phantom Regiment. In his spare time, he also composed and arranged music for winds and percussion. Competitive fencing is one of Collin’s hobbies, along with his SCUBA certification. 

As Collin reflects on his high school career, he believes that the best memories were those spent with his friends. 

“The reason those memories are memorable is because of who I was with,” he shares.

Collin plans to attend Brown University next year, where he will be studying philosophy and history and eventually attend a graduate school to study law. 

“The social sciences have always really intrigued me. I think studying, analyzing, and constructing arguments has always been something that I’ve really been captivated by,” he adds. “On top of that, history also had a similar appeal to me. Law combines both, and I really enjoyed mock trial, so I thought that this course of action would be a great path to take for me.”

Collin’s key to success is putting in the work, despite how grueling it may be. 

“When I was first learning tuba I would practice 2-3 hours every day while also studying for my classes,” he says. “I wouldn’t get to bed until early in the morning–which I know is a recurring theme with students in AP classes. That definitely isn’t the healthiest, but it’s somewhat of a necessary evil to take collegiate level courses while participating in a lot of activities.” 

Collin’s advice for students who are deciding their future plans is to do preliminary research on what’s important for you. 

“Try to narrow down your selection as much as possible before you go to visit schools,” he says. “Once you do narrow down your options, pick your school based on how happy you’ll be there, not based on the prestige.” 

Congratulations, Collin!