Brodi Chambers boarded a plane to the United States for the first time with two goals: self-development and gaining new experiences. 

Some of these new experiences include trying a cheesesteak, learning American slang, driving a car on the right side of the road and learning as much as he can during his time here. 

Chambers, watching cars travel down University Avenue, said he likes to learn the differences between places he’s seen.

“Like that,” he said, pointing out the window of Café Kubal. “Driving on the right side of the road just freaks me out. But I have to try it.”

Chambers will attend SU for the 2019-20 academic year as a Lockerbie Scholar, one of two students from Lockerbie, Scotland, who attend SU tuition-free as part of a scholarship honoring the victims of the Pan Am Flight 103 bombing.

On Dec. 21, 1988, Pan Am Flight 103 exploded over Lockerbie in a terrorist attack. The crash killed 270 people, including 35 students who were enrolled in SU’s study abroad program. Now, two students from Lockerbie apply and are selected for the Lockerbie Scholars program every year. 

The Lockerbie Scholars represent the 11 Scottish residents who died in the bombing, as well as Andrew McClune, a former Lockerbie Scholar who died during his time on campus.  

Brodi Chambers (left) and Rowan Chisholm are the 2019-2020 Lockerbie Scholars. Corey Henry | Photo Editor

The main reason Chambers wanted to be a Lockerbie Scholar was to throw himself into a completely new environment for a year. 

“I’m not a big fan of huge decisions,” said Chambers. “If I’m being completely honest, I usually flip a coin when I have to make a decision and see where it takes me.” 

This mindset is what drives Chambers’ free-spirited, “go with the flow” personality, said Kelly Rodoski, the Lockerbie Scholars’ Syracuse liaison. 

“He’s very quiet and laid back, he’s never stressed and he just kind of rolls with it,” said Rodoski. “Which I think is what has allowed him to get acclimated so beautifully here.” 

Some of the best times of his life have stemmed from having no plan, Chambers said. The same can be said of his hopes for the future, which include “not living in a box under a bridge or being stuck behind a desk every day.” 

SU’s Lockerbie Scholars represent the 11 Scottish residents who were killed in the Pan Am Flight 103 bombing, as well as former Lockerbie Scholar Andrew McClune, who died while at SU. Corey Henry | Photo Editor

Despite this, Chambers is passionate about art and design, and hopes to pursue something similar in the future. 

Chambers has a tattoo on his forearm of a design he found on Instagram, as well as a small “13” tattooed on his middle finger, representing his birthday and favorite number. While these are the only tattoos Chambers has right now, his sketchbook at home is filled with different designs of initials, symbols and pictures he hopes to add to his collection. 

This is what Chambers’ mom said is his “artsy” side. It’s something he takes from the rest of his family, where his maternal grandfather works as an engineer and his paternal grandfather is an architect. 

“We are an artsy family,” said Rosella O’Kane, Chambers’ mother, in a Facebook message. “It’s bred into him in a way.”

When Rodoski picked Chambers up from the airport after arriving in the U.S., she noticed he was shy and reserved. He didn’t say much to her or anyone else in the car and clearly did not want to be the center of attention, Rodoski said. 

When they arrived on campus for move-in day, she noticed Chambers had left the group for a moment as they were checking in. When she turned to look for him, she saw he had gone to help a mother and daughter who were struggling to unpack their car. 

“In that moment, I realized that while he was very quiet at first, his compassionate spirit would allow him to do well meeting others and getting acclimated to campus,” Rodoski said.

Published on October 20, 2019 at 10:12 pm

Contact Maggie: mehicks@syr.edu | @maggie_hickss