A Castle of Knowledge and Learning
Ava Caroline Brandenburger came into the world as the fourth child of Janice and Thomas Brandenburger. Ava is the only child born and raised in Madison in her family and has fond memories of riding the lawn mower with her dad and pretending to shoot down fearsome dragons (crows). Ava’s love of fantasy has only grown since her time as a child. Ava spends her free time reading, and loves the A Court of Thorns and Roses series; she hopes to write a book that will be well-received by those who read it one day. In the summer, Ava spends her time lifeguarding at the Madison Aquatic Center and loves judging the patrons' diving competitions. In her free time, Ava loves nothing more than to read, but will settle for making puzzles and 3D models.
Ava is a devoted Christian and tries to live as Christ taught by loving unconditionally. Ava says she could not live without Mass and God. In fact, if Ava ran a podcast, she would love to discuss common misconceptions about Catholicism and just Christianity in general. Ava’s love of learning also applies to history. Ava hopes to teach history in a small town like Madison someday after getting married and having two kids. When asked if her career as a teacher might take her back to Madison, Ava replied, “Probably not, because that would feel too much like going in a circle.” Instead, Ava says that she would love to live in a castle in Germany where she would spend her days tucked away in the library, pursuing the vast wealth of information libraries have in store. If Ava couldn't live in her castle, she would settle for just visiting Germany, preferably during the fall, and getting a true Oktoberfest experience.
Oktoberfest is on Ava’s bucket list, as is visiting Hobbiton in New Zealand, as well as taking an ocean voyage to see the Titanic. When not dreaming up fantastical places to visit, Ava enjoys seeing the beauty all around her, especially in the winter when she can sit and watch the snowfall, which she describes as a time to “heal the soul”. Ava also has fond memories of her time in the high school theater program especially when “overacting.” Ava’s advice to the freshman is to be honest and forthcoming about mistakes and late assignments with your teachers.