Annie Browning - Class of 1995

WELCOME TO BENZIE COUNT CENTRAL SCHOOLS FEATUERD FRIDAY ALUMNI.  Today we would like to recognize class of 1995 graduate, Annie Browning.  Annie was a student at Benzie Central High School in the early-mid-nineties after having attended elementary school at Platte River. While at Benzie, Annie was interested in learning as much as she could from Mr. Lynch, Ms. Belden, and Mr. Gehring (she felt she was a pretty big dork but it was fun!). Annie also helped to support the basketball teams by acting as a manager for the Varsity and JV basketball program.

After high school, Annie was fortunate enough to receive financial aid and had earned high enough grades to get the opportunity to attend the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. One of the first things Annie did after arriving at the University of Michigan, was get a work-study job at David Humes' research lab where she did cell culture work creating a bio artificial kidney. Eventually, she did large animal studies to test the bio artificial kidney and then began FDA Phase I trial on humans and she was fortunate and ecstatic to personally witness the fruits of her labor when a 27-year-old man's life was saved with her help.

Shortly after finishing her undergraduate education, Annie began working toward her master's degree in UM's School of Public Health. After earning her master's degree in Health Management and Policy, she did an administrative fellowship at a community health system outside of Chicago. After spending about a year in Chicago, Annie returned back to the School of Public Health and achieved her master's degree in Healthcare Economics. Shortly after, Annie secured a job at the University of Michigan Health system working in IT and helping clinical researchers there use the electronic medical record for research.

After about ten years working at the UM health system, she decided to sell her condo in Ann Arbor and move back to my motherland. She is currently living in Honor and is looking to use her knowledge, skills, and expertise to help improve the health of Benzie county and its residents beginning with repurposing Platte River school. Annie’s personal mission has become to inspire, enlighten, and empower locals to make positive change. Her future is now basically wide open!

You can still reach Annie at annieb@umich.edu if you have any questions or if you'd like to contribute to her mission.   Annie, we are in fact #OneBENZIE proud, welcome home!