Braden family has built a legacy rooted in education

For Allen Braden, family history and education have always been intertwined. Across generations, his family always seemed to find their place at Central Washington University.

His aunt, Marcella Braden Dodd, was the first to make her way to Ellensburg in the late 1930s. A first-generation college student, she earned a degree in elementary education.

Her brother Lewis followed soon after, leaving his studies to enlist when the United States entered World War II. From there, the Braden family connection to Central only deepened as Allen’s sister Kate (Braden) Green, brother-in-law David Green, and several cousins and second cousins all became Wildcats in the decades that followed.

“My aunt paved the way,” says Allen, a 1991 English graduate. “She didn’t have children of her own, but she wanted to support students by providing scholarships. I’ve helped monitor those in recent years, and I found it very satisfying to meet the students at the awards banquet.”

In 1997, Marcella established the Braden-Dodd Memorial Fellowship in Resource Management to honor her husband, Lt. Col. Glen A. Dodd, and her brothers, Staff Sgt. Tillman J. Braden and 1st Lt. Lewis H. Braden — all of whom served in the U.S. Army Air Corps. She also supported Army ROTC Scholarships.

Marcella’s dedication to supporting CWU students was part of a family tradition that inspired Allen as he pursued his own education.

He graduated in 1991, a milestone year that marked CWU’s centennial. With a major in English and language arts and a minor in reading assessment, he completed his student teaching at West Valley High School in Yakima, earning certification to teach English, language arts, and reading.

After teaching across a variety of K-12 levels on the Yakama Nation reservation for a few years, Allen went to Louisiana to earn a master’s in literature and a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing from McNeese State University. Eventually, he returned to Washington, teaching at several Puget Sound-area colleges before joining Tacoma Community College as a full-time professor.

At TCC, Allen primarily teaches Introduction to Composition and Introduction to Humanities, both courses that invite students to think deeply, write honestly, and connect with one another.

“What I love most is seeing friendships form between students and knowing that I had a small part to do with it,” Allen says. “I’d also like to think I’m able to help them value the role critical thinking has in all the choices they make in life.”

Along with being an educator, Allen has continued to write ever since he graduated from college. In 2010, he published a book, A Wreath of Down and Drops of Blood, and more recently he created a poetry chapbook and a full-length manuscript of poems.

Looking back, his time at Central laid the foundation for all of his future endeavors. He recalls rigorous classes that shaped his approach to language and literature, including a seminar with Dr. Steven Olson on the works of Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinson, which inspired him to shift from prose to poetry. He also has fond memories of a film course with Dr. Anthony Canedo, which introduced him to foreign cinema.

“As someone who grew up watching one of four channels on a black-and-white TV, these stylized films stayed with me,” Allen said. “My favorite movie to this day, to watch and to teach, is one we analyzed in that class.”

He also remembers fondly his time working as a tutor at the writing center because it was his first taste of what it was like to teach.

Allen’s connection to CWU still remains strong, and he continues to remain in contact with a number of departments on campus. He has returned as a guest for the Lion Rock Visiting Writers Series, received an alumni recognition award from the College of Arts and Humanities, and continues to support scholarships that carry his family’s name.

He still remembers what first drew him to Central as a high school student visiting campus during Preview Week.

“Even though I had a scholarship to another university, I chose CWU because of that experience,” he says. “It was very well-organized, and during one of the lunches, the president of the university visited our table and took a few minutes to chat with us. It’s that kind of personal touch I hope this institution still practices with its students today.”