Staci DumoskiWhen Brandon Crum starts his first year at Chapman University in just a few weeks, he’ll be carrying on a family tradition. Brandon’s parents, Joe and Brandi, are both Chapman alumni and so is his older sister, Ashley. That’s taking Chapman Family to the next level.
Joe and Brandi met in high school in Northern California but didn’t begin dating until a few years after they graduated. They married in 1998 and attended Chapman as working adults. With a newborn, Ashley, they had to plan their class schedules around jobs and childcare, and both graduated in 2003 with bachelor’s degrees in social science.
Joe went on to earn a master’s degree from Chapman in criminal justice and is now a sergeant in the police department where he has worked for over 28 years. Brandi also earned a master’s degree and a credential in elementary education, with a specialty in reading. She is a reading specialist in the Riverside area.
“We did not have the amazing campus life that Ashley had and that Brandon will soon enjoy,” said Brandi, due to the needs of their young family. But they knew having a college education was important and something they wanted for their kids in the future.
Living nearby, the Crum kids were all familiar when they were growing up with Chapman from visits to the campus and surrounding area.
“Ashley knew from the beginning that she wanted to attend Chapman,” Brandi said, “not only because Joe and I attended, but because their film school is so prestigious.”
Ashley graduated in 2021 with a degree in public relations and advertising and recently started her own social media and marketing company, Out of Office. Brandon will follow in her footsteps with the same major.
“He had several college acceptances but knew that Chapman was at the top of his list. He has always been creative, so the film school will be an excellent way to display his talents,” Brandi said.
“I am so thankful that all three of my children will soon be college graduates,” she added. The Crums’ middle child, Kyle, attends San Diego State University on an athletic scholarship for football.
Ashley had this advice for Brandon as he begins his time at Chapman: develop relationships with your classmates and professors. These connections will help you in the future.
Brandi also had words of wisdom for the newest Panther. “I’m most excited for Brandon to experience college campus life,” she said. “My advice for him, and all students starting at Chapman, is to be open to trying new things. Reinvent yourself. This is your time to be whomever you wish to be.”
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