Professional Life & Education

Brooke Pavon is a Jewish girl currently living in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan. Prior to moving back to the east coast in 2015, Brooke lived in Los Angeles, where she was Assistant Director of Supported Living & Independent Living programs at Etta, a small but rapidly expanding Jewish Non profit serving adults with special needs. After moving back East, Brooke changed careers from the Social service sector to Media and Publishing. Before starting at The New York Times in February of 2016, Brooke worked for a NYC based fashion designer, writing, editing and spearheading initiatives to support the designer's brand development and briefly worked for a celebrity chef, blogging and writing for the C list star's newly launched website. Brooke spent 7 years in Philadelphia, where she attended graduate school at University of Pennsylvania. While at Penn, Brooke obtained two masters degrees in psychological services and professional counseling/psychology from The Graduate School of Education. She returned to Penn, in 2012, and completed an advanced certification in School Counseling. Brooke began her undergraduate career at George Washington University, transferring to Rutgers University, after her freshman year. She graduated Summa Cum Laude, from Rutgers College, with a BA in Psychology. Brooke attended high school at The hun school of princeton.

Family & Early Life

Brooke is the Middle Child and first born daughter of Shelley Sarnoff Pavon and Alan Pavon. Her parents have been married for 42 years. Brooke's mother is of Ashkenazi Jewish descent while her father's family is Sephardic. Her maternal great grandparents came to the US from Russia. Her paternal great grandparents came to America from Salonika, Greece and Istanbul, Turkey. Brooke's brother, Brian, four years older than her, resides in NJ. Brian suffered a Traumatic brain injury at the age of 2, after he, Brooke's mother and aunt Nancy Sarnoff Burke, were hit by a tractor trailer, while driving through an intersection of a multi lane highway. Brian has often been compared to RainMan. He is an investor in the stock market and passionate about sports, politics and cars. He did not attend college. Brooke's younger sister, Samantha, 26, is a third grade teacher in Hillsborough, NJ, the town in which Brooke and her siblings grew up. Samantha attended Rutgers University, graduating with a BA in Elementary Education and a Masters in Teaching.

Brooke had a near death experience at the age of 3.

While visiting her great aunt in New Hampshire, over Thanksgiving break, Brooke tripped over a step stool, while walking with a toothbrush in her mouth.

The toothbrush punctured her lungs, causing an infection to develop in her chest cavity.

After 4 days in the local hospital, Brooke's condition worsened and she was airlifted to Boston Children’s Hospital, where she was diagnosed with Mediastinitis. Doctors prepared her parents for the worst but they were able to treat the infection successfully. Brooke was discharged after 2 weeks. Her family still talks about the incident today.

Brooke has a large extended family, based on both the East and West coasts.

In addition to her mother, Brooke is especially close to her grandfather Jordan, who turned 90 last August and her cousin Alison Oziel Herson, who resides in Laguna Niguel.

Personal

Brooke splash paints, writes and makes personalized journals and memory jars.

In 2013, she wrote Goodbye & Hello, an essay about a significant relationship in her life.

The article was later published in Elephant Journal.

Brooke cares deeply about a variety of social issues, including Body image, Eating Disorders and Depression and is an advocate for those struggling with mental health issues.

Brooke played competitive Tennis up until college, and was captain of her high school team, having played varsity all 4 years. Today, she is more likely to pick up a ping pong paddle than a tennis racket but she will always have a special love for the game. Brooke is left handed, has never lit a match due to an irrational fear of lighting her finger on fire and is claustrophobic, avoiding elevators at all costs.

Music plays a significant role in Brooke's life, offering her energy, inspiration and strength during challenging times.

She has found music is a tangible way to express and label very intangible and elusive life experiences.

Some of her favorite artists include David Gray, Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, Counting Crows, Drake, Third Eye Blind, The Head and the Heart, OAR, Ray LaMontagne, Tupac and Foy Vance.