Seward High School junior, Brendan McMurray, is fondly known as “the guy who always wears a Star Wars shirt.” Actually, his love of Stars Wars has an interesting background.  When Brendan was in kindergarten, they had access to a Nintendo 64, which was when Brendan played his first video game, Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire.

Brendan is a 4.0 GPA student with a solid plan for the future. He wants to attend college, and plans on applying to  MIT, Colorado School of Mines, or UAF to get his bachelors in Engineering. When asked about why he wanted to attend college, he replied, “I want to make my parents proud.” Following up on that, he explained that with all his achievements, he likes to be acknowledged for his hard work, especially from his parents. Family is a big part of Brendan’s life, which is the reason he moved to Seward. He used to live in Palmer, Alaska, but due to health issues with his grandfather, his family decided to move to Seward to be closer to help.

For the last two summers , Brendan was a part of the YCC (Youth Conservation Corp) in the interpretation division at the Kenai Fjords National Park. This work includes answering trip- planning questions, sharing safety tips, and working with Park Rangers. This upcoming summer, he has applied as a ranger for the Exit Glacier Nature Center.  This would be a great position for Brendan because the main responsibility of a park ranger is protecting and supervising designated outdoor areas. Park rangers patrol the grounds and make sure that campers, hikers and other visitors are following the rules including fire safety regulations and do not disrupt the natural environment or fellow guests.

Don’t be fooled by the Star Wars T-shirts! Brendan is a very mature and sophisticated guy. After visiting with Brendan, it’s easy to look at him and think, He’s going to have a great future. To him, “good education can lead to a good future.” During this interview, rather than learning about him, you learn more about yourself — even learn a few things. One of which is that Brendan McMurray is definitely a role model.