Brower Power: CCHS senior Jeremy Brower is keeping his ion the prize

BY KENDYL COUNTS

Whether he’s unapologetically roaming the school grounds in a giraffe onesie, throwing the first pitch at a Cooper City Cowboys baseball game, or creating comprehensive Quizlet study sets that are the saviors of students across the county, CCHS Senior Jeremy Brower is hard to miss.    

Growing up, Brower frequently found himself reaching for baseballs instead of books. Though his relationship with school wasn’t love at first lecture, he grew to appreciate his education upon understanding how hard his parents worked to give him opportunities that they did not have.  

“I’m a first generation college-bound student,” Brower said. “The realization of what I could do inspired me to become a [diligent] worker.”

A devoted student, Brower braves a schedule packed with Advanced Placement classes each school year despite his involvement in multiple extracurriculars. As proven by the giraffe onesie incident, which Brower wore for an AP Biology project, he’s not afraid to go above and beyond what is expected of him. His daily routine of homework and studying is punctuated by DECA meetings, where he enjoys his role as vice president of competitive events, and National Honors Society meetings, where he finds satisfaction in helping others through tutoring and service projects.  

“[Brower is] one of the most selfless students I’ve ever seen,” NHS Sponsor Dwayne Dixon said.  “He’s willing to help all of his classmates when most [students] want an advantage over their classmates.”

After a long day of hitting the books, it’s not uncommon for Brower to unwind by hitting the field.  As this year’s captain of the varsity baseball team, he’s responsible for leading and motivating the team as well as sharing advice and experience with his teammates. But when even a day spent on the diamond fails to provide reprieve from the stresses of high school, Brower knows that he can always count on Netflix to welcome him home after a long day.

With so much on his plate, the efficiency with which he studies for tests can seem like a matter of survival. Struggling under the stress of freshman year, Brower turned to Quizlet, an online platform for learning tools such as games and flashcards.

“The idea that [Quizlet] could help me got me started,” Brower said. “The idea that it would help everybody else improve their grades kept me going.”  

Three years later, Brower’s Quizlet classroom has about 100 members and 147 study sets ranging from AP Psychology to Spanish III Honors, some of which have been viewed over 50 times. Noticing how many students relied on study sets from “jbrower19” to help them prepare for tests, CCHS Senior Rohan Patel decided to nominate Brower for the Quizlet Hero Award, given by the website to those who have assisted a number of others with their Quizlet study sets.  

“When I saw this Quizlet hero competition and what it stood for, I immediately thought of [Brower] and everything he has done for all of us,” Patel said. “So when I looked it over and informed him about it, he was ecstatic because we both knew for a fact that this competition is about people who have done exactly the things that he has done on a day-to-day basis.”

Though he’s committed to helping others, Brower is careful not to neglect his own ambitions; it might not be the most popular weekend pastime, but he sets aside a considerable portion of his spare time for studying. Spending anywhere between two to twelve hours studying each weekend, he refutes accusations of insanity with impressive results. Innumerable hours spent pouring over textbooks, Brower says, are a worthy investment in his future. Some subjects, however, come easily to him; though he hasn’t always been drawn to science, he reacted extremely well with his 10th grade chemistry class. The product? Passion.

”I understood [chemistry] from the day I walked in, I’ve loved it ever since, and I miss it every day,” Brower confessed. “I’d tell you a good chemistry joke, but all the good ones Argon.”

An aspiring chemical engineer, Brower hopes to apply his interest in Chemistry to an actual profession.  Proving that even role models have role models, he’s identified an exemplar within the halls of CCHS – Physics teacher Dr. Jorge Rigol, a published physicist who assisted the team of scientists that discovered element 118, formally named Ununoctium.

”Dr. Rigol is amazing,” Brower said. “He helped discover an element! I want him to sign my periodic table for me.”

Influenced by Rigol’s success, Brower guarantees that soon he’ll be the one wearing lab coats, attempting to answer the most perplexing of questions, and trying not to singe off his eyebrows.  When that time comes, he’ll know he has his Quizlets to thank.

”I think people are starting to understand why I do what I do,” Brower said. ”They’re going to realize it very soon.”

Until then, Brower remains content with his high school experiences and accomplishments thus far, and will continue to foster dreams of going to a large university with an energetic, involved student body, much like the one he’s used to at Cooper City High School.   

”Success is realizing that you’ve accomplished a lot that you’re proud of, and you can look back and smile about it,” Brower said. “Just strive for your best, know what you can do, and don’t be afraid to take a risk.”