In addition to the football game, tailgate and dance, Smith-Cotton homecoming festitivies include the recognition of Dr. Alan Braverman, the 2014 Distinguished Alumni, as named by the Sedalia School District Foundation.
Braverman was the 1979 valedictorian of Smith-Cotton High School, participating in soccer, swimming, golf, marching and jazz bands, and several theater productions. Thirty-five years later, he is spending his weekend in Sedalia celebrating with his alma mater.
Its a tremendous honor for me, I was very surprised and humbled to receive this award, he said. Having graduated 35 years ago Im sure there are many others as deserving or more deserving than me. I have family still in Sedalia and they are so much a part of the community. Being a product of that system makes me very proud to be the recipient this year.
After Smith-Cotton, Braverman went on to graduate with Distinction from the University of Missouri-Kansas City in 1984 with a Bachelors of Arts in Biology. In 1985 he earned his M.D. from the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine. He completed a residency in Internal Medicine at Brigham and Womens Hospital and Harvard Medical School and also served as Chief Medical Resident. He also completed cardiology fellowship training at Brigham and Womens Hospital.
He now is a faculty member at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, where he is the Alumni Endowed Professor in Cardiovascular Diseases and Professor of Medicine and the director of the Inpatient Cardiology Firm at Barnes-Jewish Hospital.
My passion is in my career specialty, diseases of the aorta, Braverman said. I became interested in that when I was at Smith-Cotton, my father died of a tear in his aorta, and when I was in college we learned my oldest brother, David, had the condition (Marfan syndrome). I started a clinic at Washington University, and Im involved in helping patients with the rare disorder across the country. It became my specialty.
Braverman has been married for 21 years to his wife Becky, who he met while she was a registered nurse at Barnes-Jewish Hospital. He also has two daughters, Emily, a senior at Clayton High School, and Jenny, a sophomore. Along with his work with Marfan syndrome in the medical field, he and his wife also started a fundraiser seven years ago called Heartworks St. Louis to help benefit the Marfan Foundation. To date, Braverman said the black tie dinner, dance and fundraiser has raised about $1 million.
Braverman participated in Fridays homecoming parade, and he said he plans on attending most of this weekends festivities.
I still have lots of friends and classmates in Sedalia, and its fun getting emails from classmates around the country, people Ive stayed in contact with, he said. I really think its been fun since the school district Connections letter comes out I think it really helps us stay connected, its one of the greatest things to happen to me since I left to Sedalia to stay in touch, see all those pictures when they come out.
Braverman said he remembers nights under the Jennie Jaynes Stadium lights, and he said hes excited to be part of the last Smith-Cotton homecoming at the beloved stadium before moving to the new athletic complex.