30 Under 30 San Diego County Leader No. 27: Victor Brown

Victor Brown said he knew he wanted to help all people after he lived in both a wealthy suburb of Chicago and the South Side of Chicago.

Brown, a 22-year-old graduate of UC San Diego who now works for city of San Diego Councilman Tony Young, said his main goals are to ensure everyone has an opportunity.

"Many youth and people who live in this district aren't given the same opportunities and resources seen in other districts of the city of San Diego," he said. "There are schools in District 4 with measurable disadvantages in resources in comparison to schools we see in Mission Valley, La Jolla or La Mesa. There are health disparities in the district that can be attributed to the lack of choices of healthy food and lack of grocery stores that exist in the community. There is a greater lack of employment in these communities as well as a lack of businesses, which decide to invest in these communities. My passion for helping others has driven me to work to help the communities of San Diego that need it the most."

Brown, who paid his way through college with scholarships, said he intends to go to law school so that he can continue to serve impoverished communities.

"I plan on creating legal-aid clinics across San Diego and eventually the U.S. to provide lower-economic communities with free legal services," said Brown, who said he is inspired by his relationship with God. "I also plan on starting a nonprofit that will provide food, clothing, job training and school supplies for those who live in poverty."

Advice for young people:

• Do your best in everything you do, and don’t let anyone tell you that you cannot reach your dreams.
• Find out what you like, and think about going into a career in it. Don’t worry about the money because if you have a passion for doing something, even if it’s flipping hamburgers, you’ll find ways to make money doing it. Your passion will push you into success.
• Get involved in organizations, extracurricular activities, etc.! It will make a world of difference! (Fun, leadership skills, growing interpersonal skills, networking.)
• At the end of college I found out that it’s not always about what you know as it’s about who you know. Networking will take you places! The latest statistics show that over 50 percent of people received their jobs because they received a referral by someone they knew. A few months ago, over two million people applied to McDonald’s for jobs, which means many of those who had a college degree didn’t get hired. … Network, meet people and share life.
• Give God a try. After all the skepticism and questioning, it was the best decision I ever made.