Braun ‘08 Recalls Exeter Experiences, Discusses LGBT Media at Assembly

Cheers echoed through the crowd this past Tuesday as alumni Raymond Braun, class of ‘08, finished his assembly speech by turning around to capture a selfie of himself and the crowd. Moments like these made Braun’s speech memorable—his voice wavered with enthusiasm as he spoke to the community about growing into his sexuality, coming out as gay at Exeter and starting his career with YouTube.

A graduate of Stanford University Graduate School of Business, Braun now works for YouTube’s LGBT marketing and community engagement activities. When Braun was still in the closet, he used YouTube videos of people coming out to build strength to come out himself. He now strives to strengthen the LGBT community on online platforms, providing struggling LGBT adolescents with more and better opportunities than he had. His work has proven very successful so far—this year he made the Forbes 30 Under 30 list for Marketing & Advertising.

Eleven years ago Braun’s life was completely different. In his hometown, Braun knew no other LGBT kids, and he came to Exeter feeling “ashamed” of his sexuality. He thought that ignoring his feelings could help him become a new person at Exeter, so he faked having a girlfriend to appear straight to his peers.

However, as Braun began to work through his first year, he grew close to several faculty members. Talking to trusted teachers provided him with a “safe environment” where he didn’t feel so vulnerable. His coming-out journey began with writing “I am gay” on a notecard, but quickly expanded to conversations with other faculty members. Braun eventually built up the courage to come out to Counseling and Psychological Services Director Jeanne Stern. He now looks back at Exeter as one of the most important times of his life and thanks the supportive faculty, staff and students who were “the greatest gift” Exeter gave to him.

“To feel that I was able to have an impact on someone on the audience similar to the impact people had on me was really meaningful.”

“Exeter helped me truly become comfortable and confident with who I am,” Braun said. “During my time here I was able to come out and be proud of being authentic and following what my passions were. That was a result of Exeter being such an open, diverse and collaborative community.”

The people Braun worked with were not only encouraging, but also understanding and well-informed on the topic of sexuality. While counseling students who are struggling with their sexuality, Stern treats it as any normal concern. For her, it is comforting to see one of her patients go through an environment that is supportive, especially if the student’s life at home may not be as accepting.

“There are so many adults they can reach out to, there is GSA, there are places where they can really get support. That’s a nice environment for me to work in, because I don’t feel like I’m working alone,” Stern said.

After having his life shaped by Exeter’s friendly community, Braun felt it was his duty to give back to the community. He was thrilled to lead this year’s annual LGBT assembly, since assemblies had a big impact on him when he was a student. His goal was to help any students still struggling with their identities by giving them a role model to relate to. “I was hoping to be able to talk to the prep year Raymonds and anyone who might be feeling different or struggling in some way,” Braun said. “I wanted to deliver the message that when you feel comfortable and confident with being your authentic self, that is when some amazing things will happen to you.”

Senior Margaret Anne Collins, who also experienced coming out of the closet at Exeter, commented on the importance of having a successful professional adult tell their story. While on campus, Braun served as a powerful image of success for members of the LGBT community. “[My sexuality] was just a constant source of shame and anxiety for me,” Collins said. “I know there are kids on campus going through that right now, and I think it was really important for those kids to have an example of someone who has been there, even in this specific environment, and come through it alright.”

Through his assembly and outside talks, Raymond gave thorough and caring advice to many members of the LGBT community. However, he didn’t stop there. He left an important message for the entire student community, reiterating the importance of speaking up in situations where other people may be invalidating the experiences of LGBT students.

His message certainly didn’t go unnoticed—Director of Student Activities Joanne Lembo has already seen an impact from Braun’s talk. She commented on the strength of his message. “I think Raymond did an outstanding job of helping the community to better understand the issues faced by the LGBT community,” Lembo said. “Raymond is an incredible individual with an amazing message to which the students could relate.”

Like Lembo, Principal Tom Hassan also felt the impact of Braun’s return to Exeter. Braun has been an important part of Hassan’s family because of his pairing with Ben, Hassan’s son, in the Best Buddies Program during his time at Exeter. Hassan believes Braun’s frame of mind is valuable for students to hear.

“His message was a wonderful reminder of the importance of being true to who you are, not to who people expect you to be,” Hassan said. “That is usually easier said than done, and I’m appreciative of every opportunity, including Tuesday’s assembly, to share that perspective with our students.”

Braun’s trip back to Exeter wasn’t only memorable for the campus—he described it as one of the “biggest highlights of [his own] life.” He concluded his assembly with an incredible “full circle moment” where he gave a message to his 13-year-old self. It meant a lot to him to spread the importance of believing in oneself at a place that has been so crucial to his own life.

“To feel that I was able to have an impact on someone on the audience similar to the impact people had on me was really meaningful,” Braun said. “I have given a lot of speeches, but speaking at Exeter has been the most exciting for me. I have such a love for this place and for the community.”