Alice Brown needed a fresh start.
Addiction and some bad choices left her in a tough place.
“I was on meth, struggling to be sober, wanting to be sober, but I didn’t know how,” said Brown, 36, who found the change she needed at Aiken Technical College.
She will receive her associate degree in applied science in general technology with an emphasis in welding technology and deliver the keynote address at the college’s May 5 commencement ceremony.
Brown received more than a technical education at the school; she found a support system and redefined herself in the process.
“Sometimes we make bad choices, but those choices don’t have to define our future. What defines us is what we choose next,” she said.
During her time at the college, she was part of a work-study program as an administrative assistant in the Office of Student Success and Retention. She served in leadership roles with the Student Government Association, Campus Ambassadors program, Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society and the Christian Life Club.
Brown received honors including the 2026 Human and Civil Rights Student Champion Award,2026 Student Government Association Leadership Award, 2025 Outstanding Academic Award for Technical Education, 2025 Christian Life Club Leadership Award and Campus Ambassador recognition.
“Staying active on campus at Aiken Tech, they gave me guidance; they gave me support; they believed in me, and I’ve never had that because I don’t have family. It meant so much to me,” she said.
Her boss, Crystal Edwards, was one of the people Brown acknowledged as a big supporter; Brown said Edwards didn’t judge her for her past but accepted and encouraged her.
“She said, ‘We all make mistakes, but look at you now,’” Brown said.
To get to where she is hasn’t been easy, she cut off people and places that would’ve hindered her from achieving her goals.
Instead, she also found support through Celebrate Recovery, a faith-based addiction program. Brown found three churches with the program and attended all three, but her favorite was at Cedar Creek Church in Aiken. Now, she’s training to become a leader in the group.
The women there have also been her cheerleaders and been there her through difficult times including the death of her mother. They were the ones who encouraged her to step into a leadership role.
“They see something in me I don’t see,” she said. “Even though I’ve achieved so much I don’t feel worthy. I have to learn to forgive myself.”
While welding is a male-dominated field, Brown saw it as a good path for a steady paycheck and higher earnings. She pursued welding because of the grandmother of her three children – JoAnn Ball, who was a welder.
“Watching her weld inspired me,” she said.
She also wanted a career that would challenge her. Aiken Tech helped her get a job at BAE in Aiken. She’s been there for about two months and loves it, she said.
Leaving Aiken Tech as a student will be hard, but Brown said she doesn’t plan on cutting ties with the college. She wants to return to speak to other students and encourage them with a simple message.
“Take a chance; apply even though you might not feel like you’re good enough. It’s not about if you’re good enough or qualified. It’s about if you’ll do the work,” she said.
Charmain Z. Brackett, the publisher of Augusta Good News and Inspiring: Women of Augusta, has covered Augusta’s news for more than 35 years. She’s won multiple Georgia Press Association awards, is the recipient of the 2018 Greater Augusta Arts Council’s media award and was named Augusta Magazine’s best local writer in 2024 and 2025. Reach her at charmain@augustagoodnews.com. Sign up for the newsletter here.
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