Today we’d like to introduce you to Christopher Brown.
Christopher, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
The primary reason I even considered working with SAE, was due to a recent layoff from my prior job, in Admissions and Recruitment, where I worked for close to 7 years, helping students reach their educational and career goals. As a licensed insurance and financial consultant, I spent a lot more of my time developing relationships with prospective consumers, who had interest in investing their retirement plans and obtaining life insurance policies.
During my time consulting as a Financial Representative, an old colleague reached out to me about an opportunity as an Admissions Professional at a Post-Secondary Institute called S.A.E. He asked me if I knew of anyone that would be interested in the position. I had never heard of SAE Institute before that day, so I looked into the school for myself. After researching online at usa.sae.edu, I learned that S.A.E. was a Creative Media School, with 50 plus locations around the globe. The school is based out of Sydney, Australia with locations in North America.
S.A.E. Atlanta opened its doors to 20 students in 2007, with programs in Audio Engineering. I found that the culture, program of study and position available, was a match for my background and education. So, I decided to apply for the role myself. Once my resume was submitted, I got a call from the Campus Director at the time, interviewed for the role and started my new career with SAE Institute. During my tenure, I have had the opportunity to help aspiring producers, artist and engineers, who are currently working for studio’s like Tree Sounds, Artists like 2 ChainZ and Organizations like Turner Broadcasting.
My interactions with our instructors, who are industry professionals, has helped me catapult my experience base to new heights. SAE Institute Instructors truly practice what they teach. With the experience, they have gained by working with legends like, Dr. Dre, Tupac Shakur, Biggy Smalls and today’s artist, such as Young Thug and Lil Wayne, our instructors provide a bird’s eye view of what it is really like to work in the entertainment industry. Not to mention that SAE is affiliated with A3C Hip Hop Festival, Grammy U and IStandard Producers. Having the opportunity to build relationships with these industry professionals, provided me with the tools to help our prospective students make a decision on whether or not SAE is the best choice for them.
Since I made that decision to join SAE, back in December 2013, Atlanta has grown to become one of the largest Campuses in North America, offering programs in audio, entertainment business and digital film. I am currently the Campus Admissions Manager/Certified Higher Education Professional, with a high performing staff of Admissions Professionals, eager to support those folks interested in beginning a journey toward a career in Creative Media. Atlanta is one of the most competitive markets for Creative Media, so when you leverage our resources and staff knowledge, students have the opportunity to excel in a passion, that they can make a career out of.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
With any career there are obstacles. As I mentioned previously, I was laid-off from my prior job and took a significant decrease in pay when I began my career at SAE. I basically started from scratch. I was very happy to join the team and I could see the potential in the organization but as time went by, my personal life was getting harder and harder financially…
I took a 20,000 dollar decrease in income annually… this made it difficult to support twins and maintain my own household, that had been established off of my previous income. Thankfully, with some simple money management, I was able to maintain for a while but the bills kept coming at the same rate. I was getting further and further into debt. So handling the stress of my personal life and keeping a cool head at work, was very challenging until that day came when I was pulled in my Managers office and offered a promotion. No one at work knew what I was going through personally, so I knew my efforts and dedication had started to pay off.
Please tell us about SAE Institute.
SAE Institute Atlanta occupies a modern, air-conditioned, 35,000 square foot facility convenient to mass transportation (MARTA), parking, and all the amenities of downtown Atlanta. The campus features nine classrooms, a 5.1 surround sound theater, a Learning Resource Center and more than 20 studios and workstations, equipped with industry-standard hardware and software from AKG, Apple, Avid ProTools, Focal, Focusrite, Lexicon, Native Instruments, Neumann, PreSonus, Sennheiser, Shure, Slate Digital, Solid State Logic, TC Electronic, Universal Audio, Waves and others. SAE Institute Atlanta also is home to a large
sound arena housing a live sound and lighting system with Crown, dbx, JBL and PreSonus equipment.
SAE Institute regularly upgrades its equipment, software, and educational materials in order to stay current with rapidly changing technology. The school reserves the right to upgrade its facilities, equipment, software, and other materials at any time to provide students with current industry standard practical experience.
All instruction at SAE Institute Atlanta is in English and onsite at 215 Peachtree Street NE, Atlanta, GA.
I am the Campus Admissions Manager with SAE Atlanta… I support the mission of the organization by helping aspiring professionals prepare for entry-level positions in the creative media, digital film and entertainment industries. The Admissions Department is the first point of contact for anyone interested in pursuing a career in the industry. I provide value, sustenance and genuine concern to my internal staff, prospects and our students. SAE Institute is the “Bridge” to a passion that you can make a career… I have witnessed it over and over again and our graduates are our testimonials.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
Wow… I have so many favorite memories of childhood, it’s difficult to say… But if I have to pick one, I would say going to Toys R Us with my dad and picking out my first Nintendo… yes… I am that old…. I will never forget that day. We were coming from Panama City, off of vacation… I was also able to get the ninja turtles game to go along with it…. I used to stay up all night during the summer, playing that game… until Mortal Kombat came out. That would be my second favorite memory as a child. So, I would have to say, that was probable one of the most exciting days of my life because it lead to so many other memorable chain of events… lol!
Contact Info:
- Address: 215 Peachtree St Ste 200, Atlanta, GA 30303
- Website: atlanta.sae.edu
- Phone: 404-526-9366
- Email: c.brown@sae.edu
- Instagram: FOLLOW us on Instagram @sae_northamerica
- Facebook: LIKE us on FaceBook Facebook/@SAEATL
- Twitter: FOLLOW us on Twitter @SAEAtlanta
Image Credit:
Dorothy Brown, Charles Brown, Sarah Sizemore, Todd Clark, Jeff Baker, Michele Ernst, Michael Bottrill
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