Braeden Weaver will be studying aerospace engineering at Syracuse University and joining the Air Force ROTC program there. Photo by Donna MacKenzie
It may not be surprising that Honeoye Falls-Lima Class of 2024 graduate Braeden Weaver plans on studying aerospace engineering or that he is joining the Air Force ROTC program. He has been launching himself into the air for the last three years as a pole vaulter for the Honeoye Falls-Lima Boys Varsity Track team.
Weaver, the son of Joelle and Thomas Weaver, will be attending Syracuse University this fall. He also considered Ohio State, University of Virginia, Penn State, University of Vermont, University of New Hampshire, Canisius and Rochester Institute of Technology.
“What drew me to SU was that it was not too far away and not too close,” said Weaver during a phone interview last week. “It is also a big school in terms of its activities and has music ensembles but its ROTC program and engineering classes are small. Again, it is big but not too big.”
What set him on a path to the thought of studying aerospace engineering was a BOCES summer program of three weeks in machining. After that he stumbled on the NAVY website and saw the ROTC college programs and the pathways that could open up.
“I decided to go Air Force and went to Ohio State and Virginia to look at their detachments, but I liked Syracuse’s detachment,” Weaver said. “I enjoy the community aspect of it, it kind of reminds me of HF-L and how we look out for each other. You work out as a team and can build leadership skills. I thought I might want to fly but I found out that I am colorblind so I won’t be allowed to fly but the Air Force still appeals to me and aerospace engineering fits in with the Air Force ROTC program.”
Weaver carried a 4.08 grade point average with a challenging courseload that included seven Advanced Placement courses: Physics C, Calculus, Macroeconomics, Chemistry, English Language and Composition, U.S. History and World History.
Along with academics, Weaver was involved in numerous activities. He won the Mr. HF-L contest. He was a member of National Honor Society, Green Team and Rotary Interact. He was the Class of 2024 secretary. He played bass in the Jazz Ensemble. After playing bass in the pit orchestra for Guys and Dolls as a junior, Weaver was onstage this year for the school’s musical production of Mamma Mia! as Harry Bright.
“This was my first time onstage,” Weaver said. “This year, due to the nature of the musical, the pit band was a rock band so my friends who played French Horn and trumpet and I all decided to try something new and audition to be onstage. I really enjoyed my time on the stage. It was a lot of fun and the camaraderie was great. Looking out into the crowd was special too.”
Outside of school, Weaver has been a part of Boy Scout Troop 215 and is an Eagle Scout, having completed his Eagle Scout project of building book boxes for St. Paul of the Cross Church in Honeoye Falls, St. Rose in Lima and St. Agnes in Avon. As a freshman and sophomore, he worked during the summer in the school’s IT department. Last summer, he was a counselor at Camp Arrowhead and this summer he is one of the program directors at Camp Arrowhead.
He and some friends also had a small band and he would like to pursue music as well.
“I love the Dave Matthews Band and one of my favorite stories about the band is how they spontaneously came together to become a successful band,” he said. “That is sort of a dream, but I would like to try out for the SU Jazz Ensemble.”
Along with academics and music, Weaver completed the triumvirate of high school by being a three-sport athlete. He competed on the cross country running team for four years and placed 60th in 19 minutes, 55.9 seconds at the Monroe County Coaches Invitational Varsity B race. He was a member of the varsity Nordic Ski team for four years and finished 16th (24:58.3) at the Section V Championship, helping the team to a 31-0 record and the Section V title. After playing tennis as a freshman, Weaver turned to track in his sophomore year which started a three-year varsity career in the sport. His main specialty was the pole vault and he placed second by soaring 10 feet at the Section V Class B1 Championship and won the event in two meets.
“I really enjoyed the challenge of vaulting,” said Weaver, adding that he does not intend to pursue sports at SU except at the club level.
Weaver has earned several awards. As a junior, he received the Rochester Institute of Technology Math & Science Award and an Outstanding Improvement Award for instrumental music. This year, he earned the HF-L Transportation Award, the Mark Borden Music Scholarship and the Sergeant Les R. Morse Memorial Scholarship. He was named a Monroe County All-League 2nd team selection in Nordic Skiing this past winter.
Asked about the teachers and coaches that he feels have been among the most inspirational to him, Weaver cited his cross country running and track coach Nolan Hoh and Nordic Ski coach Mark Armbruster and teachers Dr. Ken Kreuzer, Jeff Sommers and Kara Utegg.
“The team bond that Mr. Hoh and Mr. Armbruster encouraged was so strong and I also admire how they would go out of their way to help their athletes,” Weaver said. “With Dr. Kreuzer, Mr. Sommers and Mrs. Utegg, I am inspired by them because of their passion for teaching and it shows in their classrooms how much they enjoy it.”
