Brown hung out with students, autographing their clothes, taking photos with them, giving them words of wisdom, and instilling them with unwaving self-belief. Mason was wearing a black shirt, so he had Brown sign his arm. With finals season just a few days away, the motivation was particularly timely, students said. “He just told us to keep grinding in school, honestly – we could achieve what he could achieve, as long as we put our minds to it,” Mason said. “He told us just to keep working hard and [showed] where hard work will get you.”