It was the beginning of a new academic year in the fall of 2007, and the gates of the school stood wide open, inviting the annual wave of “new boys” onto our beautiful campus, which would, for the next nine months, become their home away from home. Among that number was a young man named Brooks Minford, who, at first, proved to be a rather quiet fellow. 他既不寻求引人注目，也不为自己立下名声. 他的目的是利用新学校提供的机会. But first, he needed to get his footing and learn the ropes.
In his previous schooling, Brooks had performed satisfactorily, but he knew that in order to achieve the goals he hoped to reach, 这可以让他在大学里取得成功，然后在以后的职业生涯中取得成功, he would have to undertake his work seriously and diligently. 因此，他把注意力和努力集中在这第一个重大挑战上. 这并不是说他在蓝岭的日子就是“只工作不玩耍”.”
In those early days as a “new boy,布鲁克斯开始适应寄宿学校的日常生活, 从听到宿舍的晨铃声就起床开始, dressing in coat and tie, going down to the cafeteria for breakfast, then to the all-school assembly for that day’s announcements, followed by his classes. After three-thirty in the afternoon, 他们去学校操场上参加田径比赛，然后去吃晚饭. 他平日晚上两个小时的自习室给了他准备作业的时间, 然后和朋友们一起享受自由时光直到11点熄灯. Brooks found the structured routine to be helpful, 这让他在处理人际关系和时间管理方面有了良好的判断力. 住在像美高梅官方网这样的社区里，布鲁克斯也可以和来自美国各地的同学建立关系, but also with classmates from Europe, Canada, Asia, the Middle East, and Central America. 他一直很感激蓝岭大学为他提供的机会, 是什么让他在目前的商业生涯中与来自许多不同国家的同事互动.
Brooks knew that in order to be prepared for success in college, 他需要在课堂上接受教师的挑战，这些教师将为他进入知名的高等学府做准备. 因此，他以坚定的决心和专注的学习来完成夜间作业. He quickly earned the respect of his teachers, 谁愿意支持他的努力，在他需要帮助的时候与他见面. Brooks quickly earned the respect of the faculty, 谁认为他是一个既致力于学习又愿意花额外的时间做到最好的学生. 在他从美高梅官方网毕业前夕，布鲁克斯说了下面的话. “The past three years here have, without a doubt, challenged me. If it weren’t for this school, 我怀疑自己是否已经为明年秋天等待我的压力和挑战做好了准备.”
然而，布鲁克斯在蓝岭的经历所促进的不仅仅是书本知识. 他的同学们开始意识到，为了遵循一套强有力的、公平的荣誉准则，他必须默默而坚定地过自己的生活. As his junior year began to approach its close, 教职员工和学生团体每年举行一次仪式，选出新的高级领导，他们将被任命担任校董的职务, the Honor Council, or the Disciplinary Committee. 每个委员会都负责维护学校的行为准则和荣誉. When all of the votes were counted, 学校社区对布鲁克斯很有信心，任命他为荣誉委员会成员, 谁有责任向校长建议学生是否有不光彩的行为, thus subjecting him to possible expulsion. 当布鲁克斯和他的理事会成员们向校长报告他们的结论，让他做出最终决定时，他们面临着沉重的责任. 这次经历考验了每一位理事会成员的正直和智慧, 这让布鲁克斯有机会做出艰难的决定, such as the ones he would have to make in later life.
Looking back at his Blue Ridge School years, 布鲁克斯最欣赏的是领导力课程和经验. 他把这些带到了他的成年生活中，他现在认为这是他的“职业优势”.” They have worked very well for him. 这些技能包括：知道如何与他人清晰地沟通, how to use good judgement, how to deal fairly and honestly with others, how to manage one’s time efficiently; and how to establish good and honest relationships with others, which in turn build confidence and trust. 他对公平和诚实的承诺是布鲁克斯成功事业的支柱.
After graduating from college in 2013, 布鲁克斯去了佛罗里达州的一家公司工作，这家公司经营着一系列老年人养老院. 他的首要任务是确保每个养老院都能为病人提供最好的照顾和支持. 他管理这些不同的房子很多年，然后进入房地产的世界, where he now enjoys putting deals together.
布鲁克斯在大学毕业后的几年里表现出的成功给学校董事会留下了深刻的印象，他们邀请他加入他们的行列. In 2017 Brooks agreed to do so, 并因为他对学校的承诺和加强其未来发展的机会, 他承担了外事委员会主席的责任, 负责监督招生和进修部门的运作. In both of these areas of responsibility, 布鲁克斯提供的建议和支持丰富了学校的招生和筹款工作，提高了学校的生活和学习质量.
布鲁克斯·明福德是著名的“蓝岭兄弟”之一, after benefitting from the academic, athletic, and social interaction the school has provided, 是否将他们在“BRS”期间所学到的经验作为领导者和榜样进行建设性的运用.
