Academics - Paula Broadwell ( Kranz)
Passion. Intensity. Vision.
Three simple nouns that can only partially describe the complexity of Paula Kranz, 1991 CHS graduate. In high school, Paula excelled in the classroom and beyond, fulfilling a variety of leadership roles from homecoming queen to CHS and state student council president, from all-state basketball player to orchestra concert mistress, from AAU-Mars Milky Way All-American to valedictorian.
This passion directed toward excellence and a well-rounded education served Paula well as she advanced to West Point where she earned Dean’s List status and the honor of Class Secretary, all while graduating number one physically in her class. With a degree in Political Geography and Systems Engineering, Paula pursued a military intelligence career abroad, serving in Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.
During her service, especially after 9-11, Paula’s intensity was directed toward the war against terror; her contributions and efforts to thwart terrorism have been commended by the U.S. Army and by Europe’s Special Operations Forces Commanding General. In this arena, she has planned counter-terrorism initiatives presented to NATO and worked on transnational counter-terrorism issues with foreign and domestic agencies, U.S. Special Forces, and the FBI.
As her experiences expanded, she entered the University of Denver to pursue a dual masters degree in International Security and Conflict Resolution. Graduate level scholarships in Arabic and Middle East studies led her abroad to Jordan and Israel where she also spoke at various conferences in the Persian Gulf, as well as Europe.
As an aspiring foreign and defense policy analyst, Paula was offered a full doctoral scholarship and a fellowship from Harvard University for study in Syria and Iran. Even though she has received many accolades, Paula still feels her whole life is in front of her - a life that is filled with strategic planning as well as raising a family and pursuing her hobbies and interests, a life directed by passion, intensity and vision .
“Paula’s enviable work habits and relentless approach to curricular and co-curricular activities at Century High School provided her the foundation to fulfill life-long dreams . “
- Ron Wingenbach, CHS Teacher -