The high school community lost graduate Nico Braun ’23 on Nov. 12, 2025.

Braun passed away at 21 years old. He was a captain of the football team his senior year of high school and an all-conference wide receiver and defensive back. He ran track for three seasons, making it to nationals in 2023. After graduation, he attended Bridgton Academy and the Virginia Polytechnic Institute. He was beloved by those who knew him and known for his competitiveness, dedication and the genuine connections he created.

His sister, Izzy Braun ’24, said he was a great older brother as well as a friend, who was always there for her. She referred to him as “a ball of light” and “a bright spirit.”

“He made everything a competition; he made everything a game. He was just a good time to be around,” Izzy Braun said. “He had good energy, good spirit. It was impossible not to have fun around him. In the car, he would always ask random ‘would you rathers,’ that came out of nowhere. We used to do game nights, with him and his friends, and the way it would work, we would keep track of points, and if you lost, you would have to drink a random mixture of something in the fridge. There was no [casual], ‘Oh, you lose,’ It’s like, no, no, no: you lose. He was very competitive, but made it fun.”

Andrew Bamberg ’24, a friend and teammate of Braun’s, said he was the type of person others wanted to be around because he brought great energy and always tried to make those around him smile.

“There’s some people in your life that you just click with, and I think he just clicked with a lot of people,” Bamberg said. “He was someone that you would look forward to hang out with. No matter what it was, he would make things that are pretty dull and boring way more entertaining. That included us taking this engineering class together that was on paper not something that I was going to love, but ended up being one of my more enjoyed classes, just because we were together in it.”

Braun bridged the gap between the younger and older kids on the football team, according to his teammate and friend Caetano Drinkwater ’23, who gave a eulogy at his celebration of life.

“I’ve learned this from him, but just being able to relate to the other kids on a personal level was his leadership style, and that way, it created a lot of trust between him and the other kids on the team,” Drinkwater said.

Varsity track head coach Michael Glennon said Braun was a coach’s dream because he worked hard, encouraged others around him and was a true competitor.

“He had one of the highest competitive levels of anybody I’ve coached,” Glennon said. “He always wanted to do anything he could, do it at the highest level and be the best he could.”

Bamberg said that while Braun was not the type of guy to rile everyone up with a big speech before the game, he led by example, and others fed off the work he put in.

“When you see someone so likeable put in so much effort into something that you also care about, it just inspires you to match that. I think he brought that same energy to friendships,” Bamberg said.

Drinkwater said part of Braun’s legacy is that of an amazing teammate and passionate leader.

“He’s very caring, and he just had the ability to make friends wherever he went and to connect with people wherever he went,” Drinkwater said.

Bamberg said Braun’s work ethic was admirable and that even after hard practices during the off-season for football, he could be found at the YMCA putting in the extra effort.

“When he was determined about something, there was no stopping him,” Bamberg said. “He brought that mentality to every sport and everything he did. If he cared about it, he was going to lift you up with him to the top.”

Bamberg said Braun was supportive on the field because his mentality was that mistakes were inevitable; they just meant the team needed to work harder, and he was never afraid to do that.

“He would be the first one to come up to you if you made a mistake on the field. He would be the first one to lift you up. He would be the one to be like, ‘it’s all right, we got next drive, it’s all good,’” Bamberg said.

Glennon said Braun will be missed and hopes that people remember him exactly how he was.

“He was a positive light,” Glennon said. “Whenever we lose someone so young, or lose anyone, [we have to] remember, they’re always with us and try to keep their spirit with us, and certainly, that’s what I’ve been trying to do.”