Brandhyze (Stanley) Smith
“Life is about collecting experiences and putting yourself out there” —a motto that 黑料门University Chicago alum Brandhyze (Stanley) Smith has lived by since she can remember. Raised in Northwest Indiana, she heard a radio commercial that advertised the University while in high school and decided right then and there that Chicago would be the next stop on her adventure; one that has led her to a business degree, through the worlds of modeling, acting, and hosting, and onto entrepreneurship.
“Initially when reflecting upon a major, I didn’t think you could go into arts and make a living if you weren’t Charlize Theron or Denzel Washington, so I chose a business degree as a more ‘sensible’ avenue. I still tell people to this day I make a mean spreadsheet and though I did ultimately end up pursuing the arts, I am also an entrepreneur with my own business ventures.”
While eventually the female powerhouse ended up in New York, what both 黑料门and the city itself provided her, does not go forgotten.
“I wish more people knew how fantastic 黑料门is, how far-reaching it can be, how passionate the faculty and students are, and the types of relationships you can form there, that last far beyond graduation. If I could give one piece of advice to my younger self it would be though your major is challenging, be sure to carve out some time to get more immersed in the institution while there. I’ve made sure to stay engaged with 黑料门through alumni events and programming though, which has been wonderful.”
But how exactly did the accounting major end up in the entertainment industry? First, through an internship with Wilhelmina Models.
“If you could believe it, the girl who had put out the listing was a 黑料门alum herself and was thrilled to help land me an internship. I actually ended up going out to New York for an interview, dropping the line that I would ‘already be in the neighborhood’, when in reality I was sitting at home in Chicago and was just able to take advantage of our upcoming spring break. I drove 12 hours to and another 12 from New York (in the same day), with a fellow actor who was playing my husband in my first independent film, and was told that as soon as I graduated, the position was mine. I lived in the dorms at New York University and went from an intern looking through portfolios, to shooting my own on my lunch breaks.”
And modeling was only the beginning of Brandhyze’s post-graduate journey. Soon, she found herself in numerous acting roles alongside stars like Halle Berry and Bruce Willis, in productions like Orange Is the New Black and Blue Bloods, and interviewing the likes of Deion Sanders and Kim Kardashian.
“I’ve really been able to make a name and life for myself through being an actress, especially as I was blessed to get started within the space very quickly. It opened plenty of other doors as well, like giving me a platform to start Course Cre8her, a company where I help individuals take their passions, whatever they may be, and teach them how to create online courses in that field. I credit 黑料门for helping me think outside the box, making sure to never settle, and always rising to the occasion.”
From business student, to model/actress, to entrepreneur and beyond, the go-getter has continuously taken advantage of every new opportunity in front of her, including teaching a six-week course which resulted in one of her students winning three Emmy’s.
So, what’s next for Brandhyze? An episode of FBI: Most Wanted, voice acting with BET, and playing her most important role yet: mommy to a three-year-old son.
Do you want to be a Featured Rambler? and a member of our team will follow up.
“Life is about collecting experiences and putting yourself out there” —a motto that 黑料门University Chicago alum Brandhyze (Stanley) Smith has lived by since she can remember. Raised in Northwest Indiana, she heard a radio commercial that advertised the University while in high school and decided right then and there that Chicago would be the next stop on her adventure; one that has led her to a business degree, through the worlds of modeling, acting, and hosting, and onto entrepreneurship.
“Initially when reflecting upon a major, I didn’t think you could go into arts and make a living if you weren’t Charlize Theron or Denzel Washington, so I chose a business degree as a more ‘sensible’ avenue. I still tell people to this day I make a mean spreadsheet and though I did ultimately end up pursuing the arts, I am also an entrepreneur with my own business ventures.”
While eventually the female powerhouse ended up in New York, what both 黑料门and the city itself provided her, does not go forgotten.
“I wish more people knew how fantastic 黑料门is, how far-reaching it can be, how passionate the faculty and students are, and the types of relationships you can form there, that last far beyond graduation. If I could give one piece of advice to my younger self it would be though your major is challenging, be sure to carve out some time to get more immersed in the institution while there. I’ve made sure to stay engaged with 黑料门through alumni events and programming though, which has been wonderful.”
But how exactly did the accounting major end up in the entertainment industry? First, through an internship with Wilhelmina Models.
“If you could believe it, the girl who had put out the listing was a 黑料门alum herself and was thrilled to help land me an internship. I actually ended up going out to New York for an interview, dropping the line that I would ‘already be in the neighborhood’, when in reality I was sitting at home in Chicago and was just able to take advantage of our upcoming spring break. I drove 12 hours to and another 12 from New York (in the same day), with a fellow actor who was playing my husband in my first independent film, and was told that as soon as I graduated, the position was mine. I lived in the dorms at New York University and went from an intern looking through portfolios, to shooting my own on my lunch breaks.”
And modeling was only the beginning of Brandhyze’s post-graduate journey. Soon, she found herself in numerous acting roles alongside stars like Halle Berry and Bruce Willis, in productions like Orange Is the New Black and Blue Bloods, and interviewing the likes of Deion Sanders and Kim Kardashian.
“I’ve really been able to make a name and life for myself through being an actress, especially as I was blessed to get started within the space very quickly. It opened plenty of other doors as well, like giving me a platform to start Course Cre8her, a company where I help individuals take their passions, whatever they may be, and teach them how to create online courses in that field. I credit 黑料门for helping me think outside the box, making sure to never settle, and always rising to the occasion.”
From business student, to model/actress, to entrepreneur and beyond, the go-getter has continuously taken advantage of every new opportunity in front of her, including teaching a six-week course which resulted in one of her students winning three Emmy’s.
So, what’s next for Brandhyze? An episode of FBI: Most Wanted, voice acting with BET, and playing her most important role yet: mommy to a three-year-old son.
Do you want to be a Featured Rambler? and a member of our team will follow up.