A-B Tech graduate, former SGA President and current Event Tech Support Brandon Priester, received two honors from UNC Asheville when he graduated with his bachelor’s degree.
He was awarded Departmental Distinction from Mass Communication and the Best Documentary Filmmaking Award. “Brandon is a very talented and hard-working student,” said Anne Slatton, Senior Lecturer at UNC Asheville. “It was not a surprise to me that he garnered Departmental Distinction. He has consistently done high quality work with great packaging. He works hard on these long projects and does great research.”
“He is very actively engaged in the community,” said Michael Gouge, Senior Lecturer. “He’s conscientious and hard-working. I had him for senior capstone. He produced a series of videos examining the diversity of the university and the community. It was very well received.”
Brandon produced many short documentaries on diversity, inclusion and equity in the city and county. Another short documentary he made was on the “Ban the Box” initiative. He also did a documentary on the Diversity Engagement Coalition and the Multicultural Center at UNC Asheville.
“One of my documentaries told the story of Dr. Joseph Fox (former A-B Tech Business Administrator Chair) as he grew up during desegregation in Tryon,” said Priester. “I wasn’t expecting the Best Documentary Filmmaking award. I worked alone on all my documentaries, from start to finish. Everyone else worked in groups.”
When Brandon went to high school, he was told that he wasn’t a good fit and maybe he shouldn’t be there. “I didn’t have a good experience in high school,” he said. “I didn’t think I was student or university material.”
Brandon enrolled at A-B Tech when he was 16 to earn his GED. “I loved it so much I came back here after they gave me the information I needed to know I could actually to go to college,” he said. As the son of a single mother, finances were often tight. “We didn’t have the money to come to school so I just thought that left me out. A-B Tech turned my life around. I don’t know where I would be if I hadn’t had the opportunity to know about the Pell Grant.”
As a student, Brandon founded the Media Production Society, which led him to the Student Government Association. He served as president of the organization and was a member of the college’s Board of Trustees.
“When I first enrolled, the faculty and staff were so friendly and so nice. They really pushed me to succeed and they have been pushing me ever since and it has led me to be able to attend UNCA,” Brandon said.
Brandon had his share of obstacles, including becoming a father at 19. His son is now the center of his life. “I am proud to say that I am his father and he looks up to me. We put our bookbags on together in the morning and he goes to school, just like me. I want to pass the value of education on to my son. I never had a father and I am currently breaking the cycle,” he said.