She lived in Portland for 6 years until her mother accepted the call of the Lord on her life and fled to be with her Godfather, the Rev. Ivory Thornton, in Fairbanks, Alaska in 1986 and re-started their troubled family life.

-While in Alaska, Brandy attended both Hunter and Weller Elementary Schools, Tanana Junior High and West Valley High School. Brandy began to show signs of being very academically gifted and her mother began helping her focus her plans, school classes and goals toward college. She began taking as many accelerated classes as possible, reading and studying in order to keep herself motivated. Brandy also began to learn the ways of God while attending children and teen classes at First Church of God in Christ.

- Brandy's mother, Joanna, moved the family back to Oregon in 1996, after 10 years of sobriety and a new, spirit-filled attitude in order to help her mother, Betty Jo Key. Brandy then attended Woodrow Wilson High School in South West Portland and graduated early with honors after receiving the Rose Festival Princess and Ambassadorship in 1998. She also received numerous scholarship and city awards, including a full academic scholarship to the University of Oregon.

--While at U of O, Brandy became an active member and founder of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Delta Sigma Chapter. She was involved with a number of campus events and organizations, including the Black Student Union, Multicultural Center, PRSSA and the National Association of Black Journalists.

While in college, Brandy received the call of the Lord one night, while attending a spirit-led Bible study. Her life would never be the same. - She graduated in 2002 with a B.A. in Public Relations and a minor in Japanese and moved to Long Beach, Ca. Within 3 months, she began her first executive position as an Assistant Buyer at Robinsons-May Corporate.