Gracelann Brown rides her palomino Dolly in a barrel race.

Student’s School Flexibility Helps Her Pursue New Passion

By Reagan Ranzer, Marketing Assistant

Fifteen-year-old Gracelann Brown recognized her genuine passion during the pandemic; now she is working hard to learn the sport of rodeo. 

Gracelann started out playing softball at five, switched to gymnastics later on and stayed with it for seven years. When COVID-19 shut down her gym, she realized her workouts over Zoom were becoming difficult.

“I knew I was losing so much of my strength for my sport I thought I would always be in,” she said. “God had other plans.”

With her time off, she had time to help raise two deer and spend time outdoors with horses, which had always fascinated her. Gracelann’s parents hired her a coach, and she began riding her first barrel horse in July 2020. Later that same month, she registered for the Texas High School Rodeo Association, Region V. Gracelann competes in barrel racing, pole bending and is working hard to add breakaway roping to her wheelhouse. This year she is also part of BBR and National Little Britches Association in which she will have the opportunity to compete in more horsemanship contests.

She continues to work hard with her new sport while also keeping up her studies with TTU K-12. Gracelann's first semester started off well, and she appreciates her teachers and her counselor.

“Everyone is willing to help me learn to navigate this new on-line public school,” she said.

Since she was brand new to the rodeo scene, Gracelann felt her schedule would need to change if she wanted to be competitive. Freshman year was crazy, she said, with her public-school schedule vs. her training schedule. Something needed to change.

As a beginner in the sport of rodeo, she needed to both train and go to school to achieve her goals. TTU K-12 is helping Gracelann reach those objectives as well as prepare for college. With her new flexible schedule, she can train and go to school.

 “I love making my own schedule,” Gracelann said. “I can train in the morning and concentrate on my classes in the afternoon or switch them around. I can work on each class each day or if I have a project or paper, I can use my entire day to work on that subject. I can also work on things longer if I need more help. If I need to do extra work on a Saturday or Sunday, I can. So far this is an amazing opportunity.”

Her goal is to qualify for state and nationals in each event by her senior year. Eventually, she wants to attend Texas Tech University and be a part of its Rodeo Team. She knows she has a lot of work ahead of her with finishing school and training, but she gives her all in the sport she loves. She wants to become a veterinarian and hopes to enroll in the new Texas Tech University School of Veterinary Medicine.

Her entire life she has had a passion for animals and the past year gave her the opportunity to bottle-raise Faline, an axis deer; and Lilly, a red deer. She truly enjoys making sure they are taken care of with their nutrition and exercise.

Last year she showed a steer, and he sold at the YMBL South Texas State Fair and Rodeo. Gracelann placed first in one show and second in several others.

“My steer had so many issues I had to work through, but I learned so much,” she admits. “This year I’ve taken on a two-year project with a 6-month-old heifer and I am excited to see where it takes me!”

Gracelann also has advice for any students considering enrolling in TTU K-12.

“DO IT! It is a great opportunity to attend public school at home. You can create a schedule that works for you, and you can take your school anywhere you go,” she said. “It will allow you to make your schedule work for your sport or hobby.”