TOWAMENCIN – Leaving high school can be just as stressful as starting it for many seniors at North Penn. With applying to colleges, planning for graduation, and dealing with credits, there are a lot of things seniors take on in their last year of high school. Mr. Brandon Turner, a new guidance counselor in the senior home office at North Penn, hopes to make the last hurrah as comfortable and memorable as possible.

Unlike the typical faculty member, Turner never really left the halls of North Penn High School. Graduate of 2006, the alumni attended the University of Pittsburgh where he majored in English writing and marketing. After graduating, he dabbled in insurance, but he was missing something. On a mission to re-ignite his passion, Turner returned to the North Penn community as a volunteer coach for girls’ track and football.

“I competed in track in college, did track and football while I was at North Penn. Track is probably my biggest thing, it’s the one that I’m the most connected to. Football- it’s so much fun just to be back around it and to be around guys. I get these two very different perspectives. Working with the students, that’s just been so much fun. I get to coach with coaches that I had as a student, so that was pretty cool,” reflected Turner.

Turner had the opportunity to intern, as well as be a special education assistant at North Penn from 2013 to 2015. It wasn’t until Turner stumbled upon Pennfield Middle School that he was able to carry out his love for interacting with students as a guidance counselor.

“It wasn’t until I coached and worked with students that I figured out I actually want to work with these kids all the time. I really enjoyed the two hours a day I was there,” explained Turner.

The adjustment from seventh graders to seniors has been a breeze and very enjoyable for Turner. The alumni loves engaging with students that are a bit more mature than middle school level.

“I’m looking forward to graduation. I love being able to talk to kids about what they’re learning in school, what they wanna do, and give that reassurance. I left here with no idea what I was going to do, and it took me a little bit of time, but you’re going to figure it out eventually,” said Turner.

Being one of the most diverse schools, Turner loves the fact that North Penn has so much to offer to each and every student. Whether it be classes, clubs, sports, or even just people, the proud alumni embraces the growth North Penn has made over the past twelve years.

“I think that’s the best part about here. Having left and been to Pittsburgh, I went to Chicago for a year. The thing about North Penn is it really is like a small microcosm for the real world. It has so many different people, people from all ranges. It’s really cool to see how people leave here with a different perspective from when they came in,” explained Turner.

Outside of school, a lot of Turner’s time is devoted to coaching girls’ track. He also enjoys keeping up with his usual hobbies and being an active Philadelphia sports fan.

“I like to play video games, listening to music, watch sports, comics. I’m definitely an Eagles fan. I’ve had Eagles season tickets since I was in high school. My life outside of North Penn is pretty normal,” said Turner.

The senior guidance counselor is excited to be getting to know the students at North Penn, and is especially eager to help them towards the end of their journey of high school.

“I wanna be someone kids can talk to first, more than anything. Advocating for yourself, being polite in the halls, saying ‘good morning.’ I just want to be someone who can make kids learn how to navigate through tough times and always be someone you can talk to,” stated Turner.