Sara Sandstrom-Kobi, Nederland. As I talk with Nederland’s Class of 2020 there are some common themes that come up in every interview. One is how supported the students have felt by their teachers at NMSHS. Another one is how much they like the people in their class. A third comment that comes up is how much they miss the interaction with their peers and spending time with their friends at school. They are realizing that they may have taken that time for granted. I think not having the closure they expected makes them miss their friends even more. I truly hope the Class of 2020 can have some kind of celebration that is planned for July and in another year or so have a joyful reunion as alumni. 

Brandon Schreiner

This week I spoke with Brandon Schreiner. He is a Nederland school “lifer”. My term for someone who has been in Nederland schools since Kindergarten. 

While at Nederland Elementary Brandon remembers looking forward to Field Day each year organized by physical education teacher Mary Joyce. And how fun it was to eat lunch out on the soccer fields some days. 

While in elementary school Brandon started playing hockey and has been playing ever since. He first took to the ice with the Nederland Youth Hockey Association (NYHA). In eighth grade he started playing with the Boulder Hockey Club and most recently he played on a YMCA recreational team the Lafayette Locomotives. Brandon loves the speed and intensity of the game. The last two years Brandon has helped coach NYHA middle school teams. He has really had a lot of fun coaching and connecting with the middle school kids on the ice and at school. 

Sports has always been a big part of Brandon’s life. He loves to ski and learned on the slopes of Eldora. Driving to Boulder and Lafayette to play hockey is a huge commitment for the athlete and their family. Hockey is clearly one of his passions. He also played football and soccer for Nederland. Brandon and a couple of his classmates were on the last two years of Nederland’s football team. It is never easy to see a sport end at a high school. At the same time, they can always say they played on the Panther football team. It was the end of the football era in Nederland and the start of soccer. Brandon played soccer his senior year and really enjoyed it. 

Brandon has also been recognized and honored for his academic success and was inducted into the National Honor Society as a junior in high school. 

Brandon has fully enjoyed his time in high school. He has really appreciated that the teachers at NMSHS are so willing to take the extra time to help each student. If a student needs help their doors are open at lunch time or after school. The small community allows for strong relationships to develop. Brandon says that he has a lot of pride for NMSHS because of this respect between students and teachers. 

I always ask the seniors if they have any advice for younger students in Nederland schools. Brandon responded by saying, “I would say that you should not discount the school because it isn’t large. Nederland Schools are actively improving, and I think that staying for the entirety of high school will allow you to reap many of those benefits. I stayed for all of high school and I was able to enjoy a renewed school this year after construction. I also think it is important to remember that there are opportunities to challenge yourself at Nederland Schools. Myself and many other classmates have and are continuing to receive college credit for both AP classes and Concurrent Enrollment classes.”

Math and science are the classes that Brandon enjoys the most. He has been inspired by math teacher Mr. Geels and science teacher Mr. Real. So much so that he will be furthering his education in the science field, specifically environmental science. 

Brandon will be attending Colorado Mesa University (CMU) in Grand Junction in the fall. He has been awarded the President’s Scholarship from CMU and other scholarships from more local groups like the Boulder Rotary Club. 

I am always curious why students choose the college major that they do. Brandon made his passion for environment science very clear. He wants to reduce the harm we do to the earth and come up with innovative solutions to solve energy problems. 

Before going off to college Brandon will work with his uncle in the family business of noxious weed management. This is something he has done in the past and enjoys traveling around the state for a summer job. He has done this work in several places in Colorado including Vail, on the slopes of Snowmass ski resort and in Craig. 

During each interview I ask the seniors who has been a mentor in their life. I do this because I want them to stop and think about who has helped them become who they are today. This is such a huge time of transition for these young men and women. Before they take that leap I want them to pause, look back and appreciate. Brandon immediately said that his parents, Nancie Graebeldinger and David Schreiner, have been the greatest of mentors. They encouraged and pushed him to do his best. 

With his confidence and passion, I think we will see Brandon making a positive difference for the environment and for the earth. 

(Originally published in the May 14, 2020, print edition of The Mountain-Ear.)