About
“If to know is to love, then it is also true that by enlarging your horizons and improving yourself,
you enter a dimension of human existence which ‘justifies’ life
and gives it a meaning and a direction.”
-Luc Ferry, A Brief History of Thought
There are three things that will strike you when you meet Brendon Hertz: he has a drive to learn, an ability to communicate, and a genuine kindness.
Brendon grew up in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Eau Claire was more than a home to Brendon for over two decades. It became his educational institution, work community, and character builder. It also became a way to give back. Growing up in close proximity to the university he would later attend as a student allowed Brendon a unique perspective on liberal education.
Because the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire emphasized the arts alongside scientific research, Brendon was exposed to a broad number of experiences from an early age. He remembers fondly walking with his family to see UWEC’s many Jazz ensembles and theater productions, but also appreciated his trips to the planetarium and foreign language explorations through after school programs arranged by his elementary school. His early attention to community was fostered by the Boy Scouts of America, an organization where he would go on to become an Eagle Scout at 18.
Perhaps it was this positive association with the community he grew up in that compelled Brendon to later attend the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. After his freshman year at UWEC, he had achieved high grades and, having been accepted for transfer to a more prestigious university, had a decision to make. After considering his options, Brendon decided that the smaller active learning community that UWEC had offered him already was the right fit.
This was a pivotal moment in that staying at UWEC ultimately allowed Brendon to form deeper connections to peers, professors, mentors, and community members over the course of his studies there. His passion for learning was fanned by these people, and he excelled through the course of his studies at UWEC, graduating Magna Cum Laude in 2008.
After graduating, Brendon took a position teaching English at his Alma Mater: Eau Claire Memorial High School. Brendon took on new challenges and grew immensely during his years of teaching. He became a trusted colleague, friend, and leader at the school by engaging students, improving district-wide curriculum, and collaborating with colleagues.
He is also proud of his work as an after-school tutor and mentor, fundraiser coordinator, and social issues club advisor. Illustrating his ability to adapt and take on new responsibility, Brendon was one of the few teachers in his department to have taught courses at all grade levels (9-12), and he also taught electives ranging from 21st century English to a semester-long grammar course.
All chapters must come to an end, and at the end of the 2014 school year, Brendon made the decision to move to Seattle, Washington. Following dreams and broadening his perspective is important to Brendon, and living on the west coast had been a dream of his since first visiting San Francisco during his childhood.
The shift from a small city environment to a large metropolis has given Brendon exactly what he needed on a daily basis: new challenges, new perspectives, and heightened discovery. He’s continually looking for the next way to fulfill these needs for himself and others.