Cairo-Durham Announces LaFever as Mustang Monthly Alumni Spotlight Recipient

CAIRO – The Cairo-Durham Central School District is proud to announce the May 2024 recipient of the “Mustang Monthly Alumni Spotlight” is Brandon LaFever (‘14). 

LaFever, who has obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Biomedical Science from the Rochester Institute of Technology, his Doctorate in Neuroscience from Penn State University and is currently completing Physician’s Assistant’s school at Albany Medical College, has found his way back to Greene County after diving into his passion of assisting others with the function of the brain.

“It’s really cool to come back to the community I grew up in and that nurtured me,” LaFever said. “It felt natural to come back to my home of Greene County. I’ve always had a tie to things in the community.

While securing his college degrees, LaFever was often seen riding the ambulance for Greenport Rescue Squad, transporting and treating local residents. Now, LaFever is looking to establish his future in the Cairo-Durham Central School District by moving into a family member’s home with his fiance and Cairo-Durham High School alumni, Victoria. 

LaFever credits his participation in sports like football, school musicals and seven Advanced Placement classes in high school for shaping him to be the person he is today.

“They taught me to be determined and to push the boundaries of my comfort zone,” LaFever said.

In her nomination of LaFever, Mary Ann Stortecky said LaFever was “very active in Cairo-Durhams’s music department”, as he “played percussion in band, sang in the chorus and was the lead in the school musical for several years.”

LaFever’s passion for music continued in college, as he traveled across the country in the acapella group named “8 Beat Measure”, then as the music director for Penn State’s acapella group.

“Embrace the uncertainty of life, it will be more enjoyable,” LaFever said. “Let the chips fall as they do. Do what you’re good at, but go towards a passion. You want to be good at what you do, but you want to enjoy it. I just take things one thing at a time.”

Sharing wisdom with future generations of Mustangs, LaFever said his trials and tribulations have helped grant him perspective in reality as he looks to open up his own practice specializing in overcoming brain tumors, seizures and brain surgery.

“There’s success, and then there’s learning. You learn from your failures,” he said. “School definitely helps you figure out who you are and you meet a lot of good people.”

In an effort to bridge the community and the Cairo-Durham Central School District, the “Mustang Monthly Alumni Spotlight” was created to provide an opportunity for community members to nominate members of the Cairo-Durham Class of 2018 or prior who have made an impact in the community, embrace Cairo-Durham pride and serve as role models to future generations of Mustangs to be recognized on the District’s platforms.