From reluctant student to community leader

Two-time Wright State grad Joey Braun helped revise Camp Inquire, a summer program for gifted students held at the Lake Campus.

When Joey Braun graduated from Wright State University–Lake Campus with a Bachelor of Science in Education in 2014, he never imagined the impact he would have on so many lives.

Now entering his 11th year as a sixth-grade math teacher at Celina City Schools and the director of Camp Inquire — a thriving academic summer camp serving nearly 500 students — Braun shows how a locally rooted path can grow into a life of lasting success.

Born and raised in Celina, Braun didn’t initially see college in his future. “I really had no plans to go to college,” he said.

But his father, a local mechanic, had other plans, encouraging him to pursue a different path and ultimately become the first in his family to earn a degree.

That decision sparked a journey of hard work, community roots and a deepening passion for education. Braun briefly considered attending a larger university, even visiting Wright State’s Dayton Campus.

But a conversation with his father about making wise, long-term financial decisions helped Braun realize that Lake Campus offered the right balance of affordability, quality and proximity. Staying close to home also meant he could continue coaching youth sports, a passion he discovered after high school.

The turning point came when Braun received a scholarship from Crown Equipment Corporation through the Western Ohio Educational Foundation.

At Lake Campus, he found personalized support and flexibility that made coaching middle school wrestling and eighth-grade football possible.

“My professors worked around my coaching schedule,” he said. “Betsy Crites was amazing at helping set up independent studies and other accommodations.”

His path to education wasn’t always clear.

“My high school football coach told me I’d make a good teacher one day,” Braun recalled.

At his first advising appointment, Braun selected education as his major almost on a whim.

It wasn’t until his student teaching experience with Coldwater educator Kathy Hart that he fully saw himself leading a classroom. From there, he pursued a master’s degree in education at the Dayton Campus and was hired by Celina City Schools before graduating.

Braun stayed connected to Lake Campus after graduating, eventually returning as an adjunct instructor.

But his impact goes far beyond the classroom.

As a child, Braun attended Camp Inquire, a summer program for gifted students. Years later, he learned the camp was on the verge of shutting down. Determined to preserve the experience for future generations, he worked with the camp’s former directors, local accountant Ryan Byers and attorney Dan Gudorf to revitalize the program.

In Bruan’s first year as director, Camp Inquire saw an increase in enrollment, making it clear the camp needed a permanent home. Braun was instrumental in bringing Camp Inquire back to its roots at Lake Campus. This year, the four-week camp hosted 478 students in grades 2-6.

Whether in the classroom, on the wrestling mat or leading a summer camp, Braun’s journey from reluctant college student to community leader is a powerful testament to perseverance, purpose and the value of giving back.