Major (R) Frank J. Branch, Jim Hill High School Jackson, MS, has been chosen by the Colleges That Change Lives (CTCL) membership and Board of Directors as one of its 2022 Counselors That Change Lives.
CTCL is dedicated to the advancement and support of a student-centered college search process and recognize those whose dedication to the college counseling profession reflects the CTCL ideal: to help students frame their search to find a college or university that cultivates a lifelong love of learning and provides the foundation for a successful and fulfilling life beyond their degree.
Since 2009, the Counselors That Change Lives Award recognizes those whose dedication to the college counseling profession that reflects the CTCL ideal of helping students frame their search beyond the ratings and rankings to find a college that provides the foundation for a successful and fulfilling life, these counselors change lives.
Major (R) Frank J. Branch was nominated by Susan Margaret Barrett of Millsaps College, and he is the first person from Mississippi to receive this prestigious international award.
Major Frank Branch (Retired) believes preparation is the foundation for success and he coaches his students to start that preparation as early as they can in their educational careers. He is a standout role model for them and the elementary and middle school students he inspires as a mentor and health and wellness program coordinator. He chairs several scholarships and community-based education awareness efforts to support as many students as possible on the road to college. Every August he facilitates a college planning series that includes an orientation and a goal-setting workshop to launch students into their college admission and financial aid journeys. He empowers his advisees through intrusive intervention, pushing them to look beyond their comfort zones for the greater opportunities and options he knows they deserve. Frank believes in them until they can believe in themselves. His kinetic optimism motivates and uplifts the students and colleges to which they are introduced; it fuels his drive to get them to recognize the potential, talent, and tremendous impact they can have on their communities and world.