Grant Bender

Parents: Stephen and Samantha Bender

Co-curricular activities: Basketball, Soccer, Baseball, Student Government, National Honor Society

Community activities: Silver Cord, Youth Group

Future plans and goals: Attend a 4-year college somewhere.

How will your high school experiences help you in the coming years?: Learning how to do things I don’t always enjoy doing is something that will benefit me in life.

Fondest memory of high school: It is hard to pick just one. Aside from all of the things my friends and I did, I would have to say I will always remember the basketball seasons. It is unique to be on a team like the one I was on. We were all very close on and off the court, and we had lots of fun.

Which teachers have had the biggest impact on you and why?: Leanne Bender and Sierra Cheney both had impacts on me. Throughout the years, they showed me how to grow in my faith and helped me when I needed it. I also enjoyed Marcus Miller’s classes quite a bit.

Who is your role model and how did they influence you?: Both of my parents are big role models to me and influenced me in different ways. I would say my dad influenced me a lot with sports. He was a great player in his high school, and hearing stories on how he used to play helped me develop my own working structure.

What is special about your high school?: I have two things. The community structure is really cool. It is fun to be in a school where you know everyone. The second thing is the way Christianity was incorporated with learning. Going to a place where I am able to speak about my faith freely with teachers and other students was a great experience.

If you go back to when you were a freshman, what advice would you give yourself?: It goes by faster than you think it does.