No one expects goodbye to happen out of nowhere. One moment, Braden Cozby was walking the same halls as the rest of us, making plans for graduation, celebrating his acceptance into Grand Canyon University, and planning not only for summer ahead but also for his bright future. Now our school is faced with a loss so sudden and heartbreaking that words struggle to carry the burden we all feel. As we are trying to make sense of the unimaginable, we are remembering the boy who was more than just a student. He was a friend, a dedicated student, and a life that mattered so deeply to so many staff and students.
Amidst the grief and confusion we bear, we must remember Braden and the light he was in our community. He was- and is– truly valued. As students continue to process his loss, teachers have also been reflecting on the impact he made inside and outside the classroom. Through their memories and stories, a clearer picture emerges of the person our school community will remember long after graduation.
Mr. Sarai has known Braden since the beginning of the school year- September. Braden was in Mr. Sarai’s fifth period graphic design class.
“[He was] definitely a studious senior,” is his first remark. Mr. Sarai describes Braden as a kind student, always checking in on him. “He was definitely one of those folks that would just be, like, on a human level. It is not just a teacher-student thing. It’s more of a human-to-human thing. Like, ‘how is your day going?’”
His favorite memory with Braden is this: “On a Monday, one day, he was like, ‘Hey, how was your weekend?’ And I had been building this wood shop thing. He just had a way of, like, being interested in what people were doing, even the smallest things. I could tell that, ‘Oh, he’s into woodworking, too, or has an interest in it,’ and wanted to see the blueprint and the layout. But to have a student take an interest in what you’re into, as a teacher, just doesn’t happen all the time.”
He describes Braden. “Just quiet and focused, but willing to put his hand in the air and share about what he did on the weekend. We do Monday recaps of what brought people joy… And [for Braden] it would be small things. ‘I went mountain biking,’ or ‘I went out with my friends and family.’ It was just the willingness to share.”
“I think there’s an assumption that quiet people are shy,” Mr. Sarai remarks, “and I think that that is something I would like to sort of dispel about Braden’s nature. He was quiet, but not, like, shy. He was willing to speak and share…people don’t realize it when people like that go under the radar; what kind of space they leave- intellectually, in a room. As a teacher, those people are foundational to the space. They just lift it up just by their presence. And I think that that is something that I wish we would celebrate more often. It’s always the squeaky wheel, or the behavioral people, or whoever’s vying for the most attention. It’s not the people that are humble, that are practicing hubris, and just going about the business and being decent. We’re not celebrating them the way that we should, or lifting them up. So, in these ways, I think Braden can also be a lesson for us.”
“It was the 2 years of school designing solutions and physics,” Mr. Bourner shares when asked how long he knew Braden.
“He was very curious, was always going out of his way to kind of pick apart different ideas and expand his knowledge. And he made a really good sorting project for that class. So a lot of hands-on stuff, and he really seemed to enjoy it.”
Mr. Boerner describes Braden. He was “a kind, polite, curious person. Nice, easygoing. There’s so much to that. I mean, he was easy to make friends with and treated everybody how you have to treat somebody and how you want to be treated yourself. He was a shining light.”
Lastly, Mr. Sande shares that he has known Braden for the school year. Braden was in his civics class.
He has one favorite memory that “sticks out in my mind….We had done this activity in class, like a legislative thing. And he really opened up with a stance that he had on one of the bills that a student was providing. And it was kind of like one of those moments where I realized that he has so many great ideas.”
Mr. Sande finishes up his time with his description of Braden.
“Kind, 100% kind…One of the kindest kids.”
Beyond the classroom, Braden’s passing has been felt deeply by the students who knew him best. Friends and classmates remember the smallest moment that defined who he was to them. The conversations in the hallway, the jokes that made people laugh, and the kindness he showed to everyone he met made him a memorable addition to our class.
Paisley F. shared fifth period, Mr. Sarai’s class, with Braden.
When asked what her favorite memory is: “When we would sit next to each other and talk about the VTS and talk about what we see and our thoughts on it and what happened.”
How would you describe him in a few words? “Creative and smart. Very open-minded.”
Julius G. says, “I’ve known him since November of this year.”
His favorite memory is hanging out in the library with Braden and friends.
“…We were just laughing about all the dumbest things…[He was the] bestest guy you can meet in the entire world. He was a brother to a lot of people.”
Chase E. has known Braden since he came to Tumwater during junior year.
“It just kicked off like that and we became best buddies in 6th period…we got very close.”
“To put it in a couple words,” Chase reminisces, “he was passionate, very happy, and he was on top of most of his work. He was a nice kid.”
This is Chase’s favorite memory with Braden. “We did a presentation and there was something really funny on the screen and we laughed a lot. It was pretty fun.”
Alex T. has known Braden for about a year, through Mr. Boerner’s physics class. One of his favorite memories with Braden would be thinking of random questions to ask and see if they could answer.
Further, Alex shares, “He was one of the kindest people I’ve ever known and he had such an amazing personality and he had such an infectious laugh. He was a great person who seemed to go through life with happiness and kindness.”
Although our senior class will move forward towards graduation and the milestones ahead, Braden’s absence will be carried with us through every step. The memories shared by teachers, friends, and classmates reflect the loss our school has experienced, but also the impact one person can have on an entire community. While his life was cut short, the joy, friendships, and moments he gave to others will continue to live on in the people who knew and loved him.
