Joseph P. Browne was born on March 9, 1987 in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico; the third son of West Indian parents. Joseph’s family moved to Tampa, Florida in July 1990 where he currently resides with his mother and 3 siblings. His father, who spent years imbuing Joseph with an awareness of values and responsibility towards others, passed away on March 2, 2002, leaving Joseph with a determination to live a life that would honor both his beliefs and his parents. Displaying a thirst for knowledge from an early age, Joseph entered the gifted program in second grade. At the same time, he developed a profound need to use his talents to aid his peers. Since third grade Joseph has assisted classmates who call upon him knowing that he has the ability and the desire to facilitate their studies. His peers respect and admire him because he is consistently willing to help. Joseph believes that everybody is capable of learning from, and has something to offer to, those who take the time to encourage them. The desire to assist his schoolmates in their scholastic endeavors led Joseph to establish an accepted and enduring way for students to help each other in the school environment. After researching the available pathways, he found a teacher sponsor and began recruiting top students to begin a BETA Club chapter at his school. These students, who excel in academics, agreed to stay after school and tutor struggling fellow students. Although his effort was impeded in various ways, Joseph persevered until he succeeded in getting the club established. His desire to help those in need has strengthened his resolve to prevail. Joseph believes that a solid education is the best way to improve one’s ability to get ahead and he will do what he can to help those in need succeed in their pursuit of a better life. In school, Joseph has demonstrated a capacity for foreign languages, becoming versed in both French and Japanese. His interest in other peoples and cultures led him to participate in and serve as secretary for the Model UN club. He is founder and president of the MHS Chapter of the BETA Club, and is an active member of the TEAMS Engineering Team, the US FIRST Robotics Team, and the National Technical Vocational Honor Society. After tutoring, Joseph works part-time as a trainer for USF’s Academic Computing Department. In addition to his regular schedule, he takes additional courses online. For relaxation, Joseph runs. Joseph has attended public schools and performed in the highest percentile of all students, both in Florida and nationwide. He won his school’s highest awards in both elementary and middle school and he is the Valedictorian of the Magnet Program at Middleton High School with a 6.1 GPA and 6 ½ AP credits. Middleton named him Sunshine State Scholar in Mathematics and Science for 2005. In addition, he is an AP Scholar and both a National Achievement and a National Merit Finalist.