While pursuing his dream in sports, a teacher becomes a champion to children

Brayden Lowery holds the first-place trophy after winning the 141-pound weight class in the NCAA Division II Super Regional IV wrestling tournament at the University of Central Missouri in Warrensburg, Mo., on March 1. (Submitted photo)

By John Shaughnessy

The dreams we pursue can take us to places we never imagined.

At the same time, our dreams don’t always come true—or in the way we imagined.

Then there is this reality:

The dreams we follow can have an impact on others, opening their imaginations to what is possible in their lives.

All these realities have come together in the life of 23-year-old Brayden Lowery, a 2020 graduate of Roncalli High School in Indianapolis.

After graduating from the University of Indianapolis in the spring of 2024, Lowery signed up to become the fourth- and fifth-grade teacher at Holy Angels School in Indianapolis for this school year.

He also decided to pursue a master’s degree in sports management at his alma mater, which allowed him to use his final year of college eligibility in wrestling—the sport in which he became a state champion at Roncalli in his senior year.

It has all shaped up as an amazing balancing act for him—as a full-time teacher, a grad student and a college athlete who is also preparing for his wedding in May to his college girlfriend, Emma Jenkins.

It’s all part of a journey that led to a momentous two days for Lowery on March 14-15. Even with all the juggling of his roles, Lowery qualified as the third seed in the 141-pound weight class for the 2025 NCAA Division II National Wrestling Championships in Indianapolis on those two days.

As he prepared on March 14 for his dream of becoming a college champion, Lowery smiled at the video that his Holy Angels students had made for him—wishing him good luck and telling him they loved him.

The video shows how far the relationship between Lowery and his students has come in just several months. So, the growth of that relationship seems the natural place to start this story. After all, the best dreams are the ones that connect people.

‘There are two things you can control’

When Holy Angels principal Matthew Krulik reached out to Lowery about teaching at the school, Krulik anticipated the difference that Lowery could make to the students. That belief stemmed from the relationship the two men already had.

“I’ve known Brayden and his family for the better part of 15 years now. I used to coach him when he was in elementary school,” Krulik notes. “When it comes down to character, Brayden has an incredibly high sense of moral integrity. And he’s disciplined. He’s not afraid to critique himself and display a growth mindset, which he does every single day. And there’s also the compassion that he brings.”

Lowery has also brought high expectations for his students— expectations he shared with them early in the school year when some of them struggled with having behavior issues and keeping their focus on their schoolwork.

“The big thing that I was trying to convey to them is that there are two things you can control—attitude and effort,” Lowery recalls. “If you have the right attitude, you’re going to be more successful than the person who doesn’t have the right attitude. And if you put forth the effort, you’re going to be more successful.”

He smiles and adds, “I may have actually learned that from Mr. Krulik back in the day.”

His smile fades as he adds, “There’s a lot of different factors we can’t control for them, and that they can’t control. So, if there’s anything they can control, there’s those two things.”

His students have bought into his belief in them.

“He’s a good person, a strong person, a kind-hearted person,” says 10-year-old Aamber Chikati, a fifth-grade student. “He helps us when we don’t understand something. He tries to make us good in life—to have a good attitude and to say kind things even when we are mad.”

Fellow fifth-grader Kingston Morrow adds, “He’s always nice, and he’s funny. He talks to us about attitude and effort. Sometimes I get stuck on things, and he helps me. He tells me to always give effort and not give up. And it’s cool how he’s a wrestler.”

Lowery has also had another impact on his students—in the way they view wrestling now, in comparison to the humorous stereotypes they previously had from watching professional wrestling.

In pursuit of a dream

Brayden Lowery helps guide fifth-grade student Aamber Chikati through an art project on March 17, two days after the teacher at Holy Angels School in Indianapolis competed in the 2025 NCAA Division II National Wrestling Championships in Indianapolis. (Photo by John Shaughnessy)

At the beginning of the school year, images of wrestlers jumping off cages and throwing chairs at opponents filled the thoughts of the students about wrestling.

“They were all asking me crazy questions about wrestling. ‘Have you ever drop-kicked anyone? Have you ever punched anybody?’ ” Lowery recalls. “I said, ‘No! That’s not what it is!’ I put together a power point presentation on what wrestling is.”

Krulik also let the students watch a couple of Lowery’s matches on TV.

“Whenever I came back, they were asking me a lot of questions,” Lowery says. “These kids have always been positive. I think they watched one match I lost. They said, ‘Oh, you’re fine. You wrestled great.’ These kids genuinely have a good heart. That’s what I love about them.”

The students’ excitement for their teacher’s wrestling grew even more when he won the Super Regional IV championship at 141 pounds. That accomplishment helped set him up as the third seed in his dream of becoming a national champion at the tournament in Indianapolis on March 14-15.

Yet, dreams don’t always turn out the way people want them.

Lowery lost a tough first match in the national tournament, rebounded with a win in the second, and lost another close one in his third match.

“I had previously beaten both the kids I lost to,” Lowery says. “After my second loss, I ran to the back and cried for about two to three minutes.”

His career as a college wrestler had ended in heartbreak, but what he did next shows his heart. He rushed back into the arena at the Indiana State Fairgrounds, knowing that his University of Indianapolis teammate, Jackson Hoover, was wrestling in a pivotal match at the 149-pound level.

“I was cheering him on,” Lowery recalls about Hoover’s win. “After Jackson hugged the coaches, I ran out there and hugged him. I told him, ‘I’m proud of you, man.’ He had placed. I started tearing up. He started tearing up. Our entire team was all around us. It was bittersweet. I knew I had put the work in, but at the end of the day, it just wasn’t my day.”

Krulik, who watched Lowery compete in the matches, shares this thought about the teacher’s path to the national championships.

“Many times in our society, people are focused on the end result and not the process that has gotten you there. Over the course of this year, I have witnessed that process firsthand. I’ve seen a young man wake up at 5 a.m. every day and work out, come to school at 6:30—an hour before he’s supposed to be here—teach a full day, go to practice and then go to grad school. This young man has taken on all these roles and responsibilities. And he’s excelled at each and every one of them. That is truly a testament to his character.”

‘He’s showing the kids what is possible’

On Monday morning, March 17, Lowery entered his classroom, which features a welcome mat that has this saying, “GOOD VIBES ONLY.”

He crossed the room and headed toward his desk, passing a sign titled, “God’s Promises,” a list that includes these vows: “God is always faithful.” “God will help you.” “God will keep you safe.” “God will love you forever.”

The sign and the welcome mat reflect the attitude that Lowery brings to his life and his faith.

“It’s knowing that no matter what, God has my back,” he says. “Anytime that I have any doubts, whether it be about wrestling or anything, I keep repeating, ‘God has my back.’ No matter what decision I make, God has my back. No matter if I win or lose in wrestling, God has my back.

“Every single day here, I try to put faith into everything we do—in reading, in math. And these kids will try to bring God into our lessons, which I think is great.”

On this morning, when Lowery shares the news with his students of how he did during the national tournament, there is sadness, but the mood changes as he focuses the children on working on an art project about the planets. Questions are asked. Touches of laughter fill the room. Teacher and students exchange ideas and smiles.

Krulik knows the difference Lowery makes.

“Attitude and effort—he has that ingrained in his students’ psyche. But the impact he has is so much greater,” the principal says. “He’s showing the kids what is possible. He is also providing a positive male role model for our scholars. Someone they can look at and say, ‘Not only does this person care about me, he is doing the right thing, and he is helping me become a better scholar.’

“He is living through his faith and incorporating these religious lessons daily with our kids.”

In the future, Lowery hopes to become a coach and an athletic administrator in the archdiocese. For now, his focus is on creating a mindset for his students to learn, grow and believe.

“I tell them I want them to get 1% better each day,” he says. “If you get 1% better each day, then we can just keep improving. We’re trying to extend them.”

The best dreams are always the ones that connect people. †