Brandon Bachleda is a senior at Marlboro High School. He is a part of the rigorous business program and heavily involved in a multitude of extracurriculars offered at the school. Brandon is a diligent and compassionate student inspiring many. In the interview, Brandon provides insight on his high school experiences and future aspirations. 

I’m aware you are involved in many clubs holding high positions in all, what is the main lesson you have learned in leading and managing all these activities?(why did you choose to do that and how did you manage)

 I definitely feel like the biggest lesson that I’ve learned is the value of your time and having good time management skills. It’s really really important. I’m somebody who likes to execute all my plans and projects at a high level. I don’t want to do anything halfway which takes a lot of commitment and energy. Managing all these clubs has led me to  plan what to do everyday and makes me more organized. Overall, the experience of managing this responsibility has allowed me to grow as a person and individual and further my work ethic in the future.

Leading into my next question, what are your plans after high school?

I’m a little up in the air. You can talk to a bunch of other seniors. They already have their eyes set for one specific college or a select few. I applied to about 8 or 9 and am fine with going to any of them. I applied to a whole range of colleges all the way from TCNJ to MIT. My plan is influenced by colleges who accept me and the money they give me. I don’t have a hard set plan for my immediate future. I want to go to college. I want to do the best I can in whatever program I apply myself in. In the end goal I want to set myself up for a good work experience and entry into the workforce. I see myself going into accounting, finance, economics or something in that regard.. I also see myself looking into computer science.

What is your proudest achievement in your high school career?

My proudest achievement of my high school career was probably winning the MUN chair. It was the culmination of a lot of work and was a great experience being chair.

If you could give one piece of advice to freshman Brandon, what would it be?

My one piece of advice is definitely to get good sleep. Covid messed up my sleep schedule badly and I haven’t really recovered since. I feel immensely better when I sleep compared to when I don’t. I’d say if you have the choice, I’d rather sleep than stay up late to study.

What motto do you live by that helps motivate you?

My motto is this quote that I really admire. “Speak so that others love listening to you, and listen so that others love speaking to you”

Who were some staff that greatly influenced your high school experience? How did they make an impact?

I’ve had some great teachers and staff support me over the years. My first recognition has to go to Mr. Nesi for setting the tone of high school in my freshman year and really making me realize that I needed to buckle down and work hard. Next would be Mr. Pancrazio for working with me and answering a whole slew of questions I’ve had throughout my four years. Mr. Scinto and Mr. Yang have been my idols of my more recent years. Their classes have been really fun to take and both are great teachers in their own sense.

Okay last question, success means something different to everyone, what does it mean to you?

This is a good question…Success to me is having the means to be able to live comfortably enough where I could live a satisfying and fulfilling life