Seafordite hits his stride in college

While several graduates in Nassau Community College’s class of 2015 had perfect 4.0 grade point averages, only one could be named valedictorian. That honor went to Peter Branche, of Seaford.

“It was great,” Branche said. “You don’t go to a school ever assuming you’re going to be valedictorian.”

Branche attended Maria Regina School in Seaford and then St. Anthony’s High School, graduating in 2012. He described his grades as “average at best” in high school, but found his groove in college. After getting all A’s his first semester, Branche said he had a newfound sense of confidence in his academic abilities. He continued to work hard, and it paid off.

At Nassau Community College, graduates have to apply to be valedictorian. He was one of more than 40 applicants, and then was chosen from a pool of about a half-dozen finalists by a committee of professors. Branche said that they looked at not only grades, but extra-curricular involvement, as well.

He was president of Phi Theta Kappa, the international honor society for two-year schools. As the sophomore senator for student government, Branche worked with faculty members to develop standardized practices on the use of social media for recruitment and retention.

Branche said that experience gave him a behind the scenes look at how the college works, and a chance to interact with professors outside of the classroom.

After starting his college career at St. Bonaventure University in Albany, Branche came back to the Long Island and earned 70 college credits at Nassau. He received his associate’s degree in liberal arts, with a concentration in economics.

Although he was accepted to several colleges for the fall, Branche said he has his heart set on either Cornell or New York University, and plans to apply for admission in the spring. He wants to major in economics, and would ultimately like to teach at the college level.

Economics, he said, is a practical topic with applications throughout life. “The theories extend beyond the score of the classroom,” he said.

He additionally took courses in math, business and science, noting his desire to get a well-rounded education at Nassau. One major project he worked on was for his market research class, in which he analyzed the correlation between good grades and involvement in extra-curricular activities. In his honors biology course, he did a presentation on genome sequencing, a detailed study of DNA.

For the past 16 months, he has been a volunteer in the Seaford Fire Department. He said he joined to fulfill a desire to serve his community.

Branche said he enjoyed the diversity at Nassau Community College, with people from different backgrounds and with different life experiences. His classmates included veterans and parents. The campus is a microcosm of the world, he explained.

As the valedictorian, Branche had to deliver a speech before about 10,000 people at Nassau Coliseum on May 28. It was that diversity that was the focus of his message to his fellow graduates.

“Nassau is the single mother taking two buses to arrive for class,” he said. “Nassau is that unsure teenager who overcame a difficult upbringing by excelling in the classroom. Nassau is that nontraditional student having the courage to pursue a newly discovered interest. Nassau is that second chance for students who took time off and came back to school after starting a family. Nassau is that parent working three jobs to support his or her family. Nassau is that much needed support for that veteran transitioning back into civilian life.”

Branche also talked about the inspiration he received from others, citing the professors who prepared him for a successful future. And, of course, he thanked mom.