VICKSBURG, Miss. (VDN) — Kristy Brannon, a chemistry and physics teacher at Warren Central High School (WCHS) and lead teacher for the ACME Academy, recently earned the Career Academy Master Teacher Certification. She is the first in the Vicksburg Warren School District (VWSD) to achieve the distinction.
For Brannon, teaching has always been more than a profession, it’s a calling.
“It was like a writing on the wall moment,” Brannon said, recalling the decision she made as a college chemistry major. “I love working with people and investing in them, hopefully inspiring or challenging them. As a teacher, I get to do this every day.”
Brannon is in her 16th year of teaching, 11 of those with VWSD. Her approach has evolved over time from finding creative ways to capture students’ attention to creating lessons that directly connect to their career goals.
The certification process, she explained, was similar to the National Board Certified Teacher program but required more written documentation and photo evidence. Brannon compiled 65 pages of lesson plans, classroom photos, student success stories, industry partner collaborations, and professional growth plans.
“It was daunting at first,” Brannon said. “But once I started going through my favorite projects and student stories, I realized how much we’ve accomplished — and how much our community partners have shaped our work.”
Those partners, including ERGON, the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC), We Work the Waterways, and the Society of Women Engineers, have brought hands-on experiences and resources into her classroom.
Brannon credits the academy model and the NCAC National Standards of Practice with helping her connect coursework to real-world careers. From tailoring lab experiments to students’ career interests to redesigning the curriculum with hands-on learning, she has helped shift instruction schoolwide.
“We’re producing students who not only know what career they want to pursue, but also which ones they don’t,” Brannon said. “That’s just as important.”
Her work has given students opportunities to explore fields like nursing, engineering, and skilled trades before graduation — sometimes sparking a passion, other times steering them toward better fits.
Brannon said some of her proudest moments are when students connect classroom lessons to their futures. She recalls a student who discovered drone technology could compliment his engineering skills, giving him “purpose and a plan.” Another student, inspired by an industry partner’s needs, earned a certification in high school and now works locally while planning her next steps.
“Teachers have all the power to change the world one day at a time,” Brannon said. “I’ve spent 16 years asking students to look at the world differently, even for a few minutes at a time, and I hope their futures are better for it.”
Brannon hopes her achievement shows students and colleagues the high-level work happening at WCHS.
“It’s easy to see the struggles and miss the successes,” she said. “But we are producing nationally recognized work here. Every student deserves a capable, knowledgeable, and caring teacher — and I strive to be that every day.”
Her advice to educators pursuing similar certifications?
“Get out of your comfort zone,” she said. “We can’t keep teaching the same lessons the same way and expect the same results. Dive into your students’ interests and connect them to the needs of the real world.”
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