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Monday, March 3, 2008
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What's on Carica Braren's mind? Music, math and making a difference Everyday People Staff Writer PEQUOT LAKES - Math and music.
Carica Braren enjoys a good challenge and these are the only subjects that genuinely capture her attention. Other subjects are, well, a little too easy for the bright Pequot Lakes High School senior.
"I like music and I like math and I don't really like anything else," said Braren. "Everything else is just boring. It gives me a sense of pride to figure it out."
Carica Braren
Age: 17
School: Braren is a senior at Pequot Lakes High School but also attends classes at Central Lakes College in Brainerd and takes online classes through Lake Superior College.
Family: Includes her mom, Cheryl Hoag, of Jenkins, and her 16-year-old brother, Kellen, who also attends Pequot Lakes High School. She also has three older siblings and two nephews.
Hobbies: Running, singing, playing guitar and singing in her band, being active in school activities and hanging out with her friends.
Future plans: Either attend Concordia College in Moorhead or the University of South Florida, possibly majoring in both mechanical engineering and music education. She would like to become a college professor.
Why teach at college? "Because teachers in my life have made a huge difference," said Braren. "They really cared about me. If they weren't my teachers, they'd be my best friends."
Favorite teachers: Mr. Lightner, Mr. Sommerness and Mr. Maurer.
First singing gig: Braren played an orphan in the musical "Annie" when she was 5 and living in Florida. She also toured with a musical group, "Bright Spots," from kindergarten through third grade. She moved to the Pequot Lakes area when she was nine.
Interested in trying out for "American Idol?" "Probably, but Simon scares me," Braren said. "I'd probably sing "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" (for tryouts), something simple but you can jazz it up a bit and show off your voice a bit."
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But don't assume that Braren doesn't enjoy high school or that she's not very active in school activities. She said she loves high school, but takes courses through Central Lakes College and online through Lake Superior College in order to challenge herself. She's currently enrolled in an online trigonometry course.
Braren is so active in athletics and activities that it's likely hard to find her most days. She serves as vice president of the student council, treasurer of the Eagles 4-H group, president of Youth As Resources in Pequot Lakes, plays varsity basketball, runs track, is involved with the Interact Club, plays guitar and sings in a rock band named Faith Addict and also plays on a volleyball league at Pequot Lakes Baptist Church. In addition, she plays trumpet in her high school band and is a section leader and a mezzo soprano in her high school choir. A talented singer, Braren was recently asked to sing in the Celebrating Dreams concert held at Tornstrom Auditorium in Brainerd.
"I really like being busy," Braren said with a smile. "It's a lot of fun."
Braren is also one of the organizers of the Rock for Darfur fund-raising event at Pequot Lakes High School Friday, sponsored by the student council.
"I feel like this is going to be big," Braren said of the rock-a-thon to benefit the victims of genocide in Darfur, Sudan. "I really think so. I would hope if I were in a country like Darfur that someone in another country would help me out. So many of those kids are my age. I think I have a hard life but I'm not raped everyday."
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Carica Braren, a senior at Pequot Lakes High School, performed "Over the Rainbow" and the Irish traditional song, "Be Thou My Vision," at the recent Celebrating Dreams concert at Tornstrom Auditorium. Brainerd Dispatch/Steve Kohls
» Purchase reprints of this photo.
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Braren said her goal in life is to make a difference in the lives of others.
"I really feel I'm going to do something that makes a big difference in this word, as crazy as it sounds," said Braren. "And I'm just waiting for God to tell me what that is."
Her other more immediate goal is to run a marathon while she's in college and later, visit all seven continents like her older brother, Kyle Hembree, who served in the Coast Guard.
"He went to Antarctica, even," Braren said proudly, of her brother.
Braren said she will miss high school next year, including her teachers. She bakes brownies for the teachers and faculty at the high school each week.
"In life in general, I hope I make a difference, even if it's only for one person," said Braren. "People have made a difference in my life and I hope I can do the same. Everybody hurts and everybody needs a hero."
JODIE TWEED may be reached at jodie.tweed@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5858.
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