By: Chris Murray, Morgan Class of 1987
I feel like Morgan changed my life for the better. It opened my eyes to what Black excellence was in real life.
– Romica Brashear, Class of 1997
The vast contributions of Morgan Class of 1997 alums David and Romica Brashear flow from a longstanding love affair the couple has had with their university from the moment they set foot on the campus in the early 1990s.
They both speak about their time at Morgan in glowing terms, telling how the University has always cared about the growth and well-being of its students while also demanding excellence.
“Coming through an HBCU and Morgan specifically, (we gained from) the care we received from the professors (and) the experience of camaraderie amongst the students to make sure that we all succeeded together,” says David Brashear, who earned his undergraduate degree in Industrial Engineering.
Romica adds that her time at Morgan State University made a profound beneficial impact on her life.
“I feel like Morgan changed my life for the better,” says Romica, who earned her bachelor’s degree in Computer Science. “It opened my eyes to what Black excellence was in real life. It was the care that my professors had for me as an individual, and the lifelong relationships, that were most impactful.”
Those relationships include her lifelong connection with David, which began when they met while taking a calculus course during their sophomore year at Morgan. The couple fell in love that year, as they both crossed the burning sands of pledging their Divine Nine organizations. Romica became a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., while David donned the royal purple and gold of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.
The Brashears, who now reside in Severn, Maryland, have passed their love for their alma mater to their daughter, Selah, who just completed her freshman year at Morgan and is a member of the Lady Bears’ Volleyball Team. A Biology major with a minor in Spanish, she plans to become a doctor.
Attending an historically Black institution “was ingrained in her,” David says. “We would get information from different schools, and her first reaction was, ‘Is it an HBCU?’”
In her bio on Morgan Athletics’ website, Selah says she chose her parents’ alma mater “because of my legacy and the familial community that comes with Morgan State.”
Having gone through the challenging experience of financing their education with financial aid and student loans, the Brashears want to smooth the path for the young people coming after them.
‘Living Proof’
Lasting Love: Romica and David at Commencement in 1997
Since graduating from Morgan, the Brashears have leveraged their experiences at the National Treasure by obtaining master’s degrees in their fields from George Washington University and by becoming successful entrepreneurs. Since 2007, the couple have been the owners of Altus Technology Solutions, a defense contracting firm that specializes in engineering and professional services. David is the CEO and Romica is the director of Operations of the Hanover, Maryland-based company, which has more than 170 employees across eight states.
The Morgan State University Foundation has been a major beneficiary of the couple’s success. Over the last 16 years, the couple’s consistent giving to their alma mater through the Brashear Family Endowment has totaled $178,000.
The Brashears both come from humble beginnings growing up in the industrial region known as the “Rust Belt” — David in Cleveland, Ohio, and Romica in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania — and both were first-generation college students. Having gone through the challenging experience of financing their education with financial aid and student loans, they want to smooth the path for the young people coming after them.
“We want to give other people the opportunity to get a life-changing experience and to be able to afford a quality education,” says Romica. “…Most of our philanthropy goes to Morgan, because we believe in the mission, and we’re living proof of (the possibilities).”
Morgan Legacy: Selah Brashear and her parents embody Bear Pride
David and Romica take pride in how their alma mater has grown and evolved for the better since their collegiate days at Morgan.
“We’re extremely proud of where Morgan is today, seeing all the new infrastructure and the growth of the campus and how much it’s changed over the years. It’s a totally different campus,” says David. “We’re excited about the enrollment. We are excited about seeing that we now have state-of-the-art facilities that can be easily compared to any other university in the state and across the country.”
But even with its growth over the last 20 years or so, say the Brashears, Morgan, like other HBCUs, will probably have to rely much more on the generosity of its alumni.
“I think (with) what’s going on with the government right now and cutting funding, the way that we get past that is through private donations,” Romica says. “Unfortunately, with HBCUs, we’ve always been underfunded. We’ve always (had) to make a dollar out of 15 cents. But now it’s even more important for alumni to give back generously.… These students deserve to have an education.”
