It can be tempting to shrink into the safety of staying in one box during the first months of ninth grade. However, it is also safe — and more fulfilling — to step outside of the boundaries you may have set for yourself and lean into something new.
While you will be learning throughout the entirety of your time at Branson, the transition from middle school to high school makes those first few months of the year a prime time for growth and new experiences. There are a multitude of sports teams, clubs and valuable leadership opportunities that are yours to get involved with from the moment you get to Branson.
Alexandra Sebastiani ‘26 joined the junior varsity volleyball team in the fall of ninth grade after moving from Sonoma to San Francisco to attend Branson. She said that the volleyball team “instilled some of the most important friendships [she] still [has] going into [her] junior year and helped [her] connect with people quickly in the midst of a large life transition.”
Fall sports, whether volleyball, golf, tennis, football or cross country, are an amazing way to find your place in the Branson community and make new friends — and no prior experience is necessary.
Sebastiani also joined girls a cappella in the fall of ninth grade. (There is also a boys a cappella group.) She said, “A cappella has been a space to find peace in a stressful school day. The all-female environment was so incredibly comforting.” Girls a capella meets during club blocks and performs at Branson events as well as gigs outside of Branson.
Charlotte Houser ‘26 will be a leader of SurfWorks next year after being a member for her first two years. SurfWorks tackles ocean-related issues, running beach clean-ups and a popular non-profit surf camp every June. Houser said that she has “been able to grow [her] leadership skills, as well as connect with people who share the same interests and create a difference in the Bay Area.”
Catrin Howell ‘26, who will be a leader of the Environmental Action Committee this year, said, “There’s something so valuable about being committed to something. I felt happy about what I was doing for the Branson community.” EAC meets during clubs blocks and addresses environmental issues, throwing “garden parties” on weekends and educating the community.
Mo Jacoby ‘25, who is a student body co-president this year, and who has been involved in multiple sports teams and clubs, noted that “not only are clubs fun, but it’s cool to have this little school be more than just academics, to have this be a place where you are not only learning and growing academically, but also in who you are as a person.”
Jacoby did not join student government until his junior year. He said, “I think if I went back in time I would have considered doing it earlier…Being able to be part of something and work your way up to be a leader of something is super powerful.”
Sebastiani said, “Extracurriculars freshman year really helped me find my footing at Branson. Freshman year is a time when you are not only trying to figure out who you want to surround yourself with, but also who you are as a growing individual. Finding a multitude of spaces where you can explore your identity is immensely valuable.”
