Following His Curiosity: How Branson Turned Questions into a Career

For Branson, curiosity has always been more than just a personality trait; it has been a guide. 

From building with Legos as a child to asking questions about how the world works, Branson has always been drawn to possibilities, new ideas, and the mysteries behind the things many people take for granted. Today, that curiosity has led him from his hometown of Houma, Louisiana, through college and into a career helping protect one of the systems people rely on every day: the power grid. 

Now, as an Arete alumnus and a newly appointed Arete Alumni Advocate on the Alumni Board, Branson is also looking forward to using his experiences to encourage the next generation of Arete Scholars. 

Branson graduated from Vandebilt Catholic High School in 2020, where he was an Arete Scholar throughout his high school years. Growing up in Houma, he recognized the value of being surrounded by a school community that encouraged education and success. 

That environment helped shape the way Branson approached his future. He had always enjoyed his classes and loved learning, so continuing his education after high school was never something he questioned.

While at Vandebilt Catholic, Branson explored his interests through extracurricular activities, including the chess team and STEM Club. His involvement gave him opportunities to strengthen both his analytical thinking and leadership skills. In the STEM Club, he served as treasurer, while his experience with the chess team helped him develop skills that would continue to serve him well in college and beyond. 

Even then, engineering was already beginning to stand out as a possible path. 

“I was definitely geared toward engineering,” Branson says. “I loved playing with Legos. I always had a questioning mind. When I look at stuff, I just see potential ideas and new designs.” 

After graduating from high school, Branson began his college journey at Nicholls State University. College gave him something just as valuable as a clear career plan: the opportunity to learn more about himself. 

During his two years at Nicholls, Branson began paying closer attention to the questions and interests that had always followed him. His curiosity about how things worked and his desire to better understand the world around him eventually led him in a new direction. He chose to pursue electrical engineering and transferred to Louisiana State University, where he completed his degree. 

Branson’s interest in engineering had always been connected to his fascination with creating and understanding. But over time, he became especially interested in energy and electricity. That curiosity ultimately became the foundation for his career. 

After graduating from LSU in May, Branson began working for PCS 2000, an electrical contractor company in Baton Rouge that works with high-power systems. His work focuses on systems connected to the transmission, distribution, and generation of electricity, helping support and protect the power grid. 

For someone who has always been fascinated by the unseen forces that make things work, the field feels like a natural fit. 

His journey is also a reminder that discovering the right path does not always happen immediately. Sometimes, it takes time, exploration, and a willingness to follow the questions that continue to pull you forward. 

As Branson begins his professional career, he is also finding a new way to stay connected to the Arete community. 

He has joined Arete’s Alumni Board as an Arete Alumni Advocate, where he hopes to continue developing his leadership and communication skills while helping make a difference for current and future scholars. 

Branson has always considered communication one of his strengths and wants to continue growing as a speaker and leader. In college, he also pursued a minor in leadership development, where he further developed his skills in communication and connecting with others. 

For Branson, joining the Alumni Board is an opportunity to put those skills into action. 

“I feel like this would just be something to further my leadership skills and just being able to speak to people in public and relate,” he says. 

He hopes those conversations can lead to something meaningful, whether that means encouraging others, sharing ideas, helping create change, or simply inspiring someone to think differently. 

As an Arete Alumni Advocate, Branson brings a perspective shaped by his own journey: one that began with educational opportunity and continued through exploration, self-discovery, and a commitment to following his interests. 

When asked what advice he would give to current Arete Scholars and students preparing for graduation, Branson’s answer came back to the same idea that has guided his own journey: know yourself. 

“I would say really just spend time with yourself, learning who you are,” he says. 

He encourages students to pay attention to the things that have always interested them and to understand the unique way they see the world. 

“Everything we have around us came from the uniqueness of an individual that brought that into the world we live in today,” Branson says. 

His advice is simple: pursue those interests without placing unnecessary limits on yourself. 

Whether a student chooses college, a trade, or another path, Branson believes the journey begins with understanding what makes them curious and what brings them fulfillment. 

“The things that are going to fulfill you are the things that have always been with you since the beginning,” he said. “Just follow it, and the path will be laid out for you.” 

For Branson, that path has taken him from Houma to Vandebilt Catholic High School, from Nicholls State University to LSU, and now into a career helping protect the systems that power communities. 

And through his new role as an Arete Alumni Advocate, his journey is coming full circle. 

The curious student who once loked at the world and wondered how things worked is now using what he has learned to build a future of his own, and help inspire others to discover what is possible for theirs.