Aletha Braun, New Link Crew Advisor, Becomes A Redwood Ranger

Aletha Braun will serve as Redwood Link Crew’s new advisor. Braun ran the ASB program at Ridgeview Middle School and continues to advise student leadership programs.

By Megan Yang

Visalia, CA— Aletha Braun was recently appointed Redwood High School’s new Link Crew advisor.

Link Crew is a peer mentoring program. It’s about students checking in on other students and making sure they are successful. It’s also meant to be fun while planning events for the freshman class.

“I took the offered position for a few reasons. I missed working with high school kiddos,” Braun says. “I believe Link Crew will be very similar, and I will have an opportunity to build relationships with [them].”

Braun has experience advising student leadership programs, having served as the Associated Student Body [ASB] director at Ridgeview Middle School. She taught at the school for seven years.

Braun graduated from Porterville High School in 1999. She then attended Porterville Community College, where she played softball.

Braun then attended a private Christian college for a year, continuing her college softball career.

The Link Crew advisor,
Aletha Braun, goes over the agenda
for the day with the leaders
at Freshman orientation.
Photo credit: Nick Miller/Redwood Gigantea

Braun then transferred to California State University [CSU] Hayward, now known as CSU East Bay.

She graduated with a Kinesiology degree and attended CSU Bakersfield, where she received her teaching credentials.

Her teaching career started at Delano High School. She then taught at Robert F. Kennedy High School.

This will be Braun’s 19th year of teaching.

The first event Braun ran as Link Crew advisor was the freshmen orientation on Friday, August 4.

“I was definitely nervous going into the freshmen orientation,” she says. “It’s a bit intimidating coming to a new school and trying to run a huge event.”

Braun speaks of how her feelings changed after the event. She says, “I don’t feel nervous anymore, I’m just excited to get this school year started.”

The Class of 2027 at Freshman Orientation Photo credit: Nick Miller/Redwood Gigantea

Braun voices the value Link Crew’s work has. She says, “I believe Link Crew is important. As high school students move on to their next years, they forget how hard of a transition high school can be. I believe we can help freshmen in that process.”

When asked about her goals for the 2023-24 school year, Braun says her plan is to have a great year. “I’m excited to be back at the high school level,” she says. “My goal is to help our freshmen have a successful school year.”