Hobbies and interests
Cooking
Art
Collecting
Reading
Biography
I read books multiple times per month
Amanda Branecky
815
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Nominee1x
FinalistAmanda Branecky
815
Bold Points2x
Nominee1x
FinalistBio
Every day, at the end of lunch there’s this crazy girl at the exit of the cafeteria with a bright smile plastered across her face, telling everyone to have a great, wonderful, FANTASTIC day and giving them high fives. Her neon-orange vest skips through the crowd as she asks the students if they’d have any extra food. Uneaten oranges, milks, and granola bars pour into her basket as she thanks them repeatedly and continues to prance around, distributing high fives. Once everyone’s gone, she jolts over to the tables to collect any abandoned food before it’s thrown away.
This girl would be me.
My name’s Amanda Branecky, and everyday at school from 12:00PM to 1:00PM, I participate in this amazing service known as Bears Who Care.
From what I’ve described, it may seem that I’m a hooligan with a huge appetite; however, the food I collect isn’t for myself. I’ve been fortunate enough to attend school everyday with a lunchbox in hand, and the intuition that there will be food on the table when I get home. For many students at Bastrop High School, however, this isn’t the case. Approximately 48% of our students are economically disadvantaged and may arrive on an empty stomach, or do not know where their next meal will come from, aside from the one free lunch provided by the school.
I first discovered this issue in one of my President's Club meetings. Our sponsor mentioned that several students in her classes had difficulty focusing, due to hunger. In search of a way to resolve this issue, I went to the lunch room. Surprisingly, I noticed an immense amount of food being wasted. By creating Bears Who Care, I’ve addressed both problems simultaneously. Since the start, I’ve utilized these excess foods to create over 2500 meals to help feed hungry students.
Throughout high school I knew I wanted to “make an impact”, but never really knew how. When the idea of this project arose, I knew this was my opportunity, and instantly became devoted.
I sacrificed my lunch and study periods for collecting and delivering food, and oftentimes spent sleepless nights dedicated to finishing my homework. After my 6AM volleyball and basketball practices, I’d sprint to the cafeteria to deliver leftover breakfast items to the Student Council portable. —If only the track coach could see how fast I maneuvered a huge box of food all the way across campus, organized it, and still managed to make it to my first period on time, in the span of about 5 minutes.
During the holiday season, I organized food drives to help supply families in need with abundant meals. In addition, I set up and volunteered at fundraisers in several restaurants around town. The money collected went towards groceries and home essentials for underprivileged families.
Bears Who Care has helped me become more aware of my community, and allowed me to develop a passion for assisting others and making people smile. I plan to incorporate all these phenomenal skills and memories that I’ve acquired from my experience into everything I do in life, and to continue transforming this world into a better place.
Education
The University of Texas at Austin
Bachelor's degree programMajors:
- Pharmacy
Minors:
- Business
Bastrop High School
High SchoolMiscellaneous
Desired degree level:
Graduate schools of interest:
Transfer schools of interest:
Majors of interest:
Career
Dream career field:
Executive Office
Dream career goals:
Operate my own cancer research lab to help create a meaningful difference, not only with my own life but with the lives of everyone affected.
Server at Restaurant by the Lazy River
Hyatt Lost Pines Resort and Spa2019 – Present5 yearsReferee/Coach
YMCA2017 – 20192 yearsSecretary
Bastrop Travel Agency2015 – Present9 years
Sports
Volleyball
Varsity2016 – 20193 years
Awards
- Academic All-State
- Second Team All-District
- Academic All-District (x3)
- Lady Bear Leadership Award (x2)
Volleyball
Club2012 – 20186 years
Awards
- Competed all over America, including TX, PA, WA, FL, MI
- Team Captain 2016, 2017, 2018
- Certified USA Volleyball Scorer 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019
Basketball
Varsity2015 – 20172 years
Awards
- Lady Bear Pride Leadership Award
Track & Field
Junior Varsity2015 – 20172 years
Awards
- High Jump
- Long Jump
- 200m Sprint
- 4x400m Relay
Research
Cancer Biology and Genomics
MD Anderson Cancer Research Center — Research Intern2018 – 2018
Arts
Art Club
Visual ArtsWe created 2 murals that are on display at HEB in Bastrop, I have a website to display my photography from my AP class I took in 2018-19, I got a 5 on my AP Portfolio2017 – 2018
Public services
Volunteering
Tree Folks — Separate, bag, hand out, and plant saplings2013 – 2019Volunteering
Bastrop Catholic Church — Spin the Wheel Cake Walk2013 – 2018Volunteering
Cistern Catholic Church — Worked Ring Toss and Snow Cones2013 – 2019Volunteering
Wounded Warriors — Prepared/Served meals to Veterans2015 – 2016Volunteering
"Chip in for Brandon" Golf Tournament — I donated an auction item and volunteered at the tournament2015 – 2015Volunteering
Missy Schulke Art Camp — I was an art instructor and life guard at the camp2016 – 2018Volunteering
Tournament of Hope — I worked the concession stand (20 hours)2016 – 2016Volunteering
Brandon Watley Fundraiser — I sold breakfast tacos and water bottles at a parade2016 – 2016Volunteering
Class of 2019 Fundraiser — Sold water bottles at graduation2017 – 2017Volunteering
GM Blackman Basketball Tournament — Played in tournament, sold tickets, worked concession stand2016 – 2016Volunteering
Double Dave's Pizza Fundraiser — Promoted Student Council fundraiser holding signs by road2016 – 2016Volunteering
BHS Volleyball Booster Club — Collect donations for tournament bags from local businesses2016 – 2018Volunteering
Back to School Breakfast for BHS Teachers — Set up and cleaned up the teacher lounge2016 – 2017Volunteering
Fall Festival for HOPESTRONG — Volunteered at game booths and clean up2016 – 2016Volunteering
Rockne Catholic Church Bazaar — Worked Cake Walk and Ring Toss2016 – 2018Volunteering
Shady Oak Nursing Home — decorated nursing home for Christmas2017 – 2017Volunteering
Zumba-A-Thon — Passed out water bottles to participants2017 – 2017Volunteering
BHS Key Club — went to Bastrop neighborhoods to collect can goods for Food Pantry2017 – 2017Volunteering
BHS Volleyball — read books to Mina Elementary students2017 – 2017Volunteering
Christian’s Closet — - 3 friends & I relocated Christian Closet from of StuCo Building to larger portable after school2017 – 2017Volunteering
Energy & Environmental Program — collected recyclables on BHS campus and took to BISD Central recycle bin2017 – 2019Volunteering
Student Council — we made Valentines Cards then delivered them to nursing home2017 – 2018Volunteering
Student Council — tutor2018 – 2018Volunteering
Ascension Catholic Church — Camp Councilor2018 – 2018Volunteering
Bun Run for the Cure — Sold tickets and did face painting2018 – 2018Volunteering
Bastrop Homecoming & Rodeo Scholarship Fundraiser — volunteered in booths for games/cakes2018 – 2018Volunteering
Toyota Pink & Pick Ups Fundraiser — set up, worked in booths and clean-up2018 – 2018Volunteering
Hurricane Harvey Clean-Up in Rockport, TX — cleaned up debris from Hurricane Harvey2018 – 2018Volunteering
Bears Who Care Food Pantry and No Body Eats Alone Campaign — I volunteer daily during my personal lunch time and prior to school hours during BHS lunches/breakfast to gather unopened food, milk and fruit. In order to get to my schedule class on time, would quickly run all these items to the StuCo portable for refrigeration. My dedicated effort to this program created over 2000 meals for economically disadvantaged students on our campus within 1 year!2017 – 2019Public Service (Politics)
City of Bastrop Youth Advisory Board — President of the Bastrop Youth City Council2018 – 2019Volunteering
Bastrop Education Foundation — cleaned up after the Bastrop Sportsman Banquet2019 – 2019Public Service (Politics)
Class President — Class President, raise funds, organize events, deliver information to classmates2015 – 2019Public Service (Politics)
Principal's Advisory Council — provide feedback and input to the principal2015 – 2019Public Service (Politics)
BHS Book Club — Treasurer2017 – 2019Public Service (Politics)
Business and Leadership Club — Publicity Manager / Secretary2017 – 2019Advocacy
Hugh O'Brain Youth Leadership (HOBY) — only one 10th grader is chosen to represent their school2017 – 2018Advocacy
Texas Association of Student Council — Events and seminars at 5 day camp to improve my community2017 – 2017