None of this is surprising, as he’s from a family of hardworking people. The farm he was raised on goes back several generations and working out in the sun has undoubtedly instilled him with the same work ethic as the family members that tended the soil before him. He lives down the road from his grandparents and says he looks up to his grandpa “because he’s a hard worker.” “He inspires me to keep working and try my best,” he explains.

 

He also finds the motivation to excel in the friendships he keeps. Most of his friends have remained the same since first grade. Brandon says that if his friends were to describe him, “They’d say I’m pretty smart and hardworking because I’d say the same about them, too.” It doesn’t hurt that some of his friends also champion 4.0 GPAs and seek college scholarships as they work to inspire each other to achieve the best possible outcomes.

 

Brandon likes having a set answer; it’s what he enjoys about math. Additionally, having a set answer is how he conducts himself when he visualizes and achieves his goals. He’s still determining what waits for him on the other side of graduation, but it’s a set answer that he’ll try for a scholarship, perhaps to Lake Land College. He has yet to decide what he wants to study, but here’s another set answer: he’ll attend Lake Land for two years and most likely transfer elsewhere. In a world of unexpected variables, Brandon has locked a few in place. For instance, he predicts that in ten years’ time, he’ll be a college graduate with a secure job and on his way to a financially stable and debt-free existence. Despite not knowing the specifics, that’s also a set answer.

 

Even though he enjoys playing baseball, Brandon admits he’d prefer to prioritize his education over sports when he reaches the college level. “It’s probably a lot of taking classes and then having to worry about a sport on top of that. It might be a little much,” he says. Through this offhand comment, he demonstrates that he’s not afraid of accepting limitations, a rare characteristic in a world obsessed with spreading attention and energy too thin through too many pursuits and activities. Wherever he wanders and whatever he may do, we’re assured that Brandon’s fully equipped to arrive at a set answer and steady future when the entire equation is finally in view.