Alumni Highlight: Seth and Grace Brasher
We love taking the opportunity to highlight our alumni and hear about their experiences and accomplishments beyond Brook Hill. Most recently we caught up with alumni, Seth Brasher ‘16 and Grace Brasher ‘19. This duo is currently one of the only brothers and sisters working in the 118th Congress – how special! Let’s hear more about The Brasher siblings’ journey at Brook Hill and how it’s affected their life and career thus far.
Let’s start at the beginning! What brought you to Brook Hill?
Seth | “I was young, but the opportunity to be surrounded by Christian teachers while being able to compete at a high level in Athletics was definitely one of the top reasons.”
Grace | “Exactly! Our parents wanted us to be in a Christ-centered college preparatory environment that allowed us the opportunity to engage in extracurricular activities, like sports, fine arts, and more.”
We are SO glad they landed on our community! Can you both describe your time at Brook Hill? What were you involved in during your time here?
Seth | “My time at Brook Hill was unbelievable. I firmly believe that I wouldn’t be where I am today without having attended Brook Hill! The teachers and coaching staff helped push me to be the best I could be both in the classroom and on the field. While at Brook Hill, I played football and baseball and was actually a part of the 2016 Baseball team that played in the State Semifinals.”
Grace | “During my time at Brook Hill, I was mainly involved in track and field. I also cheered my last two years, and then I also served as a student ambassador and got to represent Brook Hill in an admissions capacity.”
“I firmly believe that I wouldn’t be where I am today without having attended Brook Hill! The teachers and coaching staff helped push me to be the best I could be both in the classroom and on the field.” – SETH BRASHER ’16
We LOVED having y’all on campus and involved in athletics! What faculty member at Brook Hill had the biggest impact on you?
Seth | “There were so many coaches that helped shape me as a young man, but my father, Bobby Brasher, was the Head Football coach for 3 years following a stint as the offensive coordinator. Getting to play for my father in the competitive environment that is Texas high school football was one of the best experiences of my life! I strive to be more like him every day. Aside from my father, David Collins, Jacob Agnew, Austin Reed, Steve Dement, Shawn Rhoads, Jes Moore and the late Richard Larkin all played different roles in my development as a young man.”
Grace | “That’s a hard question! I had so many teachers that made an impact on me, but there was a group of women, Vicky Smith, Michelle Rozell, Jessica Mize, and Melissa Adkins, who constantly supported me and took care of me during the entirety of my time at Brook Hill.”
Love that! You two mentioned so many incredible people that still impact our campus today! Now tell us about life after Brook Hill. Where did you attend college? What were you involved in at your university?
Seth | “After graduating from Brook Hill, I attended Louisiana Tech University to play baseball. Soon after baseball started in college, I realized that a 90 mph fastball is much harder to hit in college than it was in high school and after lots of prayer decided it was time to hang up my career in athletics. My involvement on campus after baseball was filled with following the athletic teams closely, but also pursuing my degree in Political Science. Little did I know that that decision would eventually lead me to working in Washington at the pinnacle of our government!”
Grace | “I went to Texas Tech University, Wreck ‘Em!! I only attended in person classes for one semester then Covid happened, so we transitioned to classes fully online. I took that opportunity to finish my degree in three years in an internship for the House of Representatives, which eventually led to my first job out of college!”
Sounds like God used challenges and seasons of change to really mold each of your college experiences! We heard you are currently working in Washington D.C. on Capitol Hill! What led you to this opportunity and what does your work look like on a day-to-day basis?
Seth | “Upon graduation from Louisiana Tech, I received a call from Congressman Louie Gohmert, who at the time represented East Texas in the House of Representatives. After a brief stint with Congressman Gohmert, I was offered a position to work for Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana, who is my current boss and mentor. In my current role as Director of Operations and Special Assistant to the Senator, my day is filled accompanying Senator Kennedy in all committee hearings, votes, national fundraising, traveling across the country, and managing our office with qualified personnel. Every day is so different, but currently we are preparing for a hearing tomorrow where Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg and Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen will testify before the Senate Appropriations Committee. Every day is so different depending on what issues face Congress and the nation at the given time.”
Grace | “It all started out with an internship! I remember in eighth grade we took our SPARC trip to Washington DC, and the girl giving our tour of the Capitol was an intern. I thought to myself, I never could do something like that in my wildest dreams! Well the Lord’s ways are higher than my ways! I got an internship working in Congressman Jodey Arrington’s office, which led to a job working on his campaign. I went through a series of different jobs, working my way up in his office, and then landed in a district communications position. I am responsible for managing his social media, preparing him for news hits such as Fox News, Wall Street Journal, or Newsmax. Like Seth said, every day is something new!”
That’s amazing! What inspired you to pursue a career in politics? How do you think your experience at Brook Hill prepared you for this opportunity in D.C.?
Seth | “Mr. Dement’s SPARC trip to Washington D.C. had me hooked! From a young age, finding out how and why decisions were made that would affect the country either positively or negatively was so interesting to me. At Louisiana Tech I became fascinated with Washington and the inner workings of our nation’s government, which led me to pursue my degree in Political Science. In a nutshell, the opportunity to come to the Capitol and learn under Mr. Dement and his guidance helped propel my interest in politics.”
Grace | “I would’ve never even been introduced to politics if I wouldn’t have been on the SPARC trip in eighth grade and saw that girl working for former Congressman Louie Gohmert. I also think that Brook Hill prepared me to stand firm in my faith during a hectic work environment like Congress.”
Shout out to SPARC Week! When you think about your time at Brook Hill, what are you grateful for?
Seth | “I am grateful for the men and women that came alongside me to push me to be the best I can be and helped to push me closer to Christ along the way.”
Grace | “I’m grateful for the relationships I made with faculty and staff. I think each individual teacher, counselor, and administrator, who engaged with me on a personal level made me who I am today.”
“I’m grateful for the relationships I made with faculty and staff. I think each individual teacher, counselor, and administrator, who engaged with me on a personal level made me who I am today.” – GRACE BRASHER ’19
Love that so much! What was the highlight for you being part of the Brook Hill family?
Seth | “The highlight was and has been the close connections and mentorships that have stemmed from my time at Brook Hill. Shawn Roads still texts me every week checking in and lets me know he is praying for me as well as holds me accountable which is greatly appreciated in such a tough city like Washington, D.C.”
Grace | “I think mine would be watching my dad get to coach my brother during his senior year when he was a wide receiver.”
Anything else you would like to share with our community? Or someone thinking about joining?
Seth | “Brook Hill gives any student the opportunity to be great in whatever they choose to. The school gives you the firmest foundation to stand on as you embark on the journey of chasing your dreams after graduation.”
Grace | “Brook Hill exposed me to experiences that I never would’ve thought were possible. You don’t realize until you go to college that there’s a lot of people who have had limits set on themselves, but at Brook Hill, the sky’s the limit! If you wanted to be a doctor, you could go be a doctor. If you wanted to work in politics, you could go work in politics. It gave kids a chance to dream big and started them on the right path towards those dreams!”