It was my very first day as a sophomore, along with my very first year at Appleton North. I had examined my schedule for hours before this day. My first period of the day was ceramics. Ceramics was without a doubt the class I was most excited about. I entered the messy room just after the bell rang and picked my seat. Mr. Braun introduced himself and explained some of the projects we would be making during the course of the year. Initially he didn’t make much of an impression on me — I  thought he would just be another teacher in my journey through high school.  Little did I know Mr. Braun would be the most  influential teacher I’ve ever had. Mr. Braun and I share a commonality in our love for art.

Throughout all of Mr. Braun’s life he has been making art.

“It’s always been something I was good at.”

As a child Braun remembers illustrating handwritten books and doodling through school. He made his way through Appleton East High School never utilizing his artistic ability to its full potential. Braun graduated from Appleton East and continued his education through UW-Stout. His first year at Stout he planned to graduate with a Geology major, but that would soon change. During his first semester at Stout, Braun was enrolled in a drawing and painting class. Upon seeing one of Braun’s first paintings, his teacher pulled him aside, because as Braun recalls, “he thought I was an art major.” Realizing that art was his passion he decided to change his major to art education.  

After graduating, Braun began his career at Wilson Middle School. Years later, a fellow colleague and friend Mr. Schrader was about to retire from being the ceramics teacher at North. “Mr. Schrader called me up and said ‘you need to take my job.’” That’s just what Mr. Braun did.  

Through the almost three years Mr. Braun has been my teacher, he has made an immense impact on me. The last three years of my high school career have been packed with different hardships. Ceramics, art, and Mr. Braun became some of my few “safe places.” He made me feel excited about my projects, he never made me question if I was important to the class, he showed me compassion, and lastly, he made me feel proud of my work. As June approaches quicker than I may be ready for, it’s all very bittersweet. I’m excitedly anticipating starting a new chapter at a new school but dreading knowing that I will no longer be a part of Mr. Braun’s class. I also know that my years with Mr. Braun have been unforgettable and the impact he made on me will travel with me forever.