Graduating from The University of Wisconsin in La Crosse, Cody Braun followed in his older brother’s footsteps to become a social studies teacher at SHS.

His love for social studies heightened during his junior and senior years of high school while taking World History, AP European history and Civics classes.

“I loved it,” Braun said. “I also really liked the teachers and I liked how they did things and I realized then that I wanted to be a teacher.”

Social studies has become a big part of Braun’s life and he enjoys being able to teach this subject for a living.

“I really like being able to make connections between the past and the present,” Braun said.“I feel like that’s where you can really reach students and that is where it becomes relevant to them.”

Braun believes that making a connection between the past and the present can help students relate better to the lesson. He spoke about comparing the civil rights movement to the black lives matter process and how understanding some things about that can help students understand the civil rights movement better.

Sophomore Jordan Cox is a current student of his and says she enjoys not only his class but his way of teaching.

“I like that when his students do a good job at their work, he puts them up,” Cox said, “ to show everyone that he is proud of his students.”

Braun doesn’t just want his students to walk out of his class at the end of the year and to have only learned about social studies and nothing else.

“I just want them to become well rounded people,” Braun said. “To see things objectively, to see both sides of every argument and be willing to accept those arguments and not instantly just tell somebody they’re wrong.”

Braun’s love for Southport began with his brother.

“He had told me about Southport and he had always spoken very highly about this place,” Braun said. “he also said the people, the students, the teachers, the administration here were all fantastic.”

Braun had just graduated and happened to be looking for a job at that time and decided to come down to Indianapolis a couple of times to visit and to apply for a job at SHS.

“I absolutely loved it here,” He said. “So I figured this would be a really good place to work, so I applied and I was lucky enough to get the job.”

Braun loves teaching and he loves the school.

“I am really excited to be here at Southport. It’s a great school and there are a lot of great people,” He said.