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Twenty in their 20s

Morgan Almeida, Joe Carleton, Mary Coles and Falon Brown

  • By 225 Staff @225batonrouge
  • Photography by Collin Richie

Joe Carleton, 26 | Cancer

Producer and actor, film and television

Achievements + community involvement

• Partner at Unoriginal Films, which recently wrapped its first all-Louisiana feature-length film, Beware the Box Folk
• Resume includes credits for BBC, Prime Video and ITV
• IRS enrolled agent servicing film industry professionals
• Performed in 30 plays and musicals over two years at Barter Theatre in Virginia

Caffeine fix

“Whenever I am in need for an early morning anything, I am at Fork N Spoon. I’m sitting down for a big bowl of cheese grits and bacon. Their iced coffee will easily cure any caffeine fix.”

Playlist

“Ask anyone what I’m listening to, and they’ll all tell you it’s Taylor Swift. It’s just Taylor Swift. I’m listening to Taylor Swift for eight hours straight.”

It’s Friday night in Baton Rouge. Where y’at?

“Mother’s Lounge downtown. Incredible vibes for a night out with friends.”

Your superpower

“Memorizing lines and having an endless social battery.”

How accurate is your sun sign?

“From my limited knowledge of zodiac signs, Cancer is beyond accurate. I lead with my heart and cry at all the sad movies.”

What more people should know about the Capital Region

“The film industry is poised to surge up at any moment. Between the incredible infrastructure of Celtic Studios and the immensely passionate crew that I’ve seen on my sets, it’s simply a matter of time and commitment from the community before we see more motion pictures developed right here in Louisiana.”

Falon Brown, 26 | Libra

News reporter/Traffic anchor, WBRZ Channel 2

Achievements + community involvement

• First-generation woman college graduate
• Emcee for March of Dimes’ annual March for Babies events (2023)
• SPJ Mark of Excellence Awards finalist for student journalism project about vaping-related illness (2019)
• Walked in the Go Red for Women fashion show to raise money for the American Heart Association and served tables at the Baton Rouge Children’s Advocacy Center’s “Celebrity Waiter” fundraiser

Caffeine fix
“A Blue Eyes tea with a splash of almond milk from French Truck coffee. Just trust me on this—it’s delicious.”
Office or WFH?

“Office, for sure! One of my favorite things about my job is interacting with my coworkers. If I didn’t have anyone to talk to all day, I’d definitely go a little crazy.”

Your superpower

“My ability to come up with quick-witted responses and puns on the fly. I have been nicknamed the Queen of Puns in the WBRZ newsroom.”

Go-to work ‘fit

“I’m always in a dress. Easy to throw on, and I don’t have to think about matching. I own more than 100 work dresses, and my closet is color-coded.”

Advice for your 18-year-old self

“Focus. I went through a very troubling time after losing my mom at 18. As soon as I graduated high school I was thrust into the world with nothing but a dream of doing what I’m doing now. For my first semester at LSU, I struggled to adapt to life on my own and almost lost my scholarships. Thankfully, I was able to get it together.”

One thing you’d love to learn that school didn’t teach you

“I really wish I knew how to sew. I’ve taught myself some of the basics, but if I was more skilled I could benefit from being able to tailor my own clothes. Nana, if you’re reading this, I need you to teach me ASAP.”

Best and worst parts of the transition from school to work

“I graduated college when the pandemic started in 2020, so the transition for me was especially rough. I think the hardest part was learning to work in a multigenerational environment. Some of my coworkers are in their 60s and 70s and grew up in a different time. Collaborating with people who have way more life experience than me has been humbling. Yet, I am so grateful to have their guidance, perspectives and wisdom.”

Mary Coles, 24 | Gemini

Clerk and future associate, Taylor Porter
Achievements + community involvement

• Student at LSU Law
• Founder of So Needley, an embroidered sweatshirt brand that grew a six-figure TikTok following
• Actress featured in national commercials, short films, professional regional theater productions and print campaigns
• Playwright of The Things We Forget
• Research assistant for published, peer-reviewed articles
• Leadership roles for the LSU Law Student Bar Association and Theatre Baton Rouge’s marketing committee
• Advisor/tutor for first-year students at LSU Law

Go-to work ‘fit

“I actually have a TikTok where I post work outfit inspiration. My favorite is a silk blouse with high-waisted pants and a fashionable heel (a maximum of 3 inches; I’m far too clumsy to commit to anything taller, and I salute those who do).”

It’s Friday night in Baton Rouge. Where y’at?

“If I’ve sweet-talked my husband enough (which doesn’t take much), I am at a restaurant with fun cocktails and tacos (lookin’ at you, Superior Grill).”

Goal before turning 30

“I hope to have a fiction novel (or two) published. Bonus points if I can walk into a Barnes & Noble and see it on the best-selling shelf.”

One thing you’d love to learn that school didn’t teach you

“How to speak Hebrew fluently. Or automobile maintenance, so that I learn how to stop letting car mechanics swindle me every time I go in to get my oil changed.”

What more people should know about the Capital Region

“As someone from the other side of the country, moving to the Capital Region was a breath of fresh air in many ways. The genuine love and passion that people have for their community and one another is something rarely found elsewhere. From churches to organizations to local businesses, when people express their desire to help the community, they often genuinely mean it and put action where their mouth is.”

Morgan Almeida, 29 | Virgo

Senior vice president of marketing, Baton Rouge Area Chamber
Achievements + community involvement

• Youngest senior team member at the Baton Rouge Area Chamber
• Co-organized the sold-out TEDxBatonRouge (2023)
• Leadership Baton Rouge graduate (2023)
• Former Forum 225 president (2021-2022)

Life hack

“Grouping your tabs on Google Chrome. Color coordinated organization? I’m in.”

One thing you’d love to learn that school didn’t teach you

“I’d love to take a cooking class. My bank account would really thank me, but I think Superior Grill would miss me.”

It’s Friday night in Baton Rouge. Where y’at?

“At Zee Zee’s drinking espresso martinis and catching up with friends or at Live After Five dancing with my husband.”

Advice for your 18-year-old self

“Be bold. Your ideas, input and actions are valuable at any age. Use this time to make new connections, and be unafraid to put yourself out there.”

Best part of the transition from school to work

“Collaborating with new people. During college, most of my school work was independent, but moving to the workplace I was surrounded by a great team ready to brainstorm and tackle challenges together.”

What more people should know about the Capital Region

“It has a larger percentage of young professionals serving in top executive roles than nearly all of its peer metros in the South. Couple that with the region’s lower cost of living, and local young professionals can more quickly build a life that helps them achieve goals.”

This article was originally published in the May 2024 issue of 225 Magazine.


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