Eric Braun has been a member of Darlington's world languages department since 2010. He currently teaches French and, as co-founder of the Global Studies Program, is now teaching a Global Issues course. He has also taught Spanish at Darlington. Braun holds a B.A. in French from the University of South Florida and an M.B.A. from Thunderbird School of Global Management (Ariz.) Previously, he taught French and Spanish at Riverwood International Charter School in Atlanta and English in Bogota, Colombia. He is fluent in all three languages. Braun also has 23 years of experience in international business, which includes working with multinational corporations in diverse positions from manager of Latin America strategic planning to director of international marketing for Philip Morris/Seven-Up International, PepsiCo/KFC-International, Maytag/Dixi-Narco, and several other international, mid-sized companies. He has experienced many cultures as he operated in 50 countries throughout North America, Latin America, Western Europe, the Middle East and Asia.
How did you start working at Darlington?
Prior to joining Darlington, I was teaching at a magnet school in Sandy Springs. The school was rated one of the top schools in the state of Georgia. The language department offered French, Spanish and Japanese. Its student body was very international; all good things. Unfortunately, I found the administration’s bureaucratic requirements to be too strict. I started to research private schools. I quickly fell in love with Darlington as I immediately recognized that it was a school where I could have an opportunity to make a significant contribution.
What are your roles at Darlington?
I currently teach three levels of French. I have also taught level two Spanish and co-authored the Global Studies program within which I teach the Global Issues class. I am enjoying this class tremendously as it makes use of both my international business and personal experiences. While my workload is rather heavy with four class preparations, I think it is fair to say that I usually come to school with a big smile on my face.
What do you love most about Darlington?
I love the sense of community. I also very much appreciate the fact that our community is made up of such unique individuals, whether they are faculty or students. Similarly, I love the wide diversity of our student population. I feel right at home having lived on three continents and having been raised to avoid ethnocentrism.
What is your favorite memory from your entire experience at Darlington?
While dressing like an Elf for RUMPUS comes to mind, learning that Darlington was considering to implement the Global Studies program is one of my favorite memories. It is significant in my mind as it brings the school closer to being an international school; a school with a curriculum that reflects a more progressive global mindset.
What makes Darlington such a special place?
Beyond having a fabulous mix of people, I feel that Darlington teachers have an opportunity to work closely with their students and address their individual learning needs. This is not at all possible in a school setting where classes have 30 students. Outside of the classroom, there always is an opportunity to mingle with students in multiple settings and communicate with them on a more personal basis.
