January 2015 Student of the Month: Brandon Sawyer

Brandon Sawyer lives in Rosemount with his parents Mark and Cindy.

As a Rosemount High School student, Brandon has excelled in academics. He is ranked near the top of his class and has taken many AP, CIS and honors courses. He has received several academic awards, including being named to the “A” honor roll each trimester in high school.  He has received four high academic achievement awards offered by the Minnesota State High School League to top academic performers who also participate in athletics. He is also member of National Honor Society, National Spanish Honor Society and Tri-M Music Honor Society.

Brandon has maintained a high level of academic achievement while demonstrating success and leadership outside the classroom.  As a two-time Minnesota All-State choir member, Brandon is a leader in the choir program.  He is also Vice-President of the National Honor Society and an officer in the Tri-M Music Honor Society.  Brandon has also used his leadership skills to teach a year-round confirmation class for 9th graders at his church. He has also served as a camp counselor for Vocalmotion, a choir camp put on by RHS for younger students.

Brandon has also been actively involved in other activities at RHS. For example, he played football all four years and was a starter this season. He also participates in many choral opportunities, including Men’s Ensemble, Chamber Singers and OnStage, to name a few.

Brandon exemplifies the Rotary motto “Service Above Self” by serving his community and beyond. Through the National Honor Society, he has conducted many fundraisers with proceeds going to a variety of different charities and organizations. Brandon credits many service experiences as formative events in his life, but the one that stands out for him was a mission trip to Tanzania, Africa. He recalls how important it was to interact with the children and the elderly there.  He also experienced a three-hour church service that introduced him to the power of music and faith in bringing joy and hope to people in difficult situations.

In his spare time, Brandon lifts weights, runs, reads, plays video games and enjoys spending time with his family and friends.

After graduation, Brandon plans to attend the United States Naval Academy or Pennsylvania State University on a Navy ROTC scholarship. He plans to major in naval engineering at the Naval Academy or chemical engineering at Penn State. After college, Brandon plans to carry out his military commitment to the Navy as either a Navy pilot or a submariner.