Meet Jalen Bradley

I still remember watching my grandmother relearn how to move. The summer before eighth grade, I sat in on her in-home physical therapy sessions and watched her therapists guide her back to her daily life with patience and skill. That’s the moment I knew what I wanted to do with mine.

I chose Auburn University at Montgomery because I wanted a place where I wouldn’t just be a face in the crowd. Coming from a small town, it mattered to me that professors would know my name, remember my story, and invest in who I was becoming — not just what I was studying. That’s exactly what I found here.

No one has shaped that experience more than Thaddeus Hoffman. His guidance and genuine commitment to my growth have pushed me to strive for excellence, both in the classroom and in who I am as a person. He’s shown me what it looks like to build real relationships with students, and that example has stayed with me.

The moment I knew I was on the right path came when the classroom started meeting the real world — through hands-on learning, leadership roles, and mentorship that made my future feel tangible. I wasn’t just earning a degree anymore. I was becoming confident in the path I’d chosen.

That path hasn’t been without obstacles. Math has never come easily to me, and courses like calculus and physics tested me more than I expected. AUM met me there too, with tutoring and academic support that helped me push through instead of giving up.

Along the way, I’ve stayed involved — through SGA, the Kinesiology Majors Club, Orange Jacket Society, and Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. — and logged over 400 hours of internship experience I’m incredibly proud of.

Every step at AUM has brought me closer to becoming exactly who I watched help my grandmother all those years ago.