Kade Benjamin

Parents: January and Luke Benjamin

Co-Curricular Activities: National Honors Society + Basketball + Track and Field

Future plans and goals: I am committed and signed to go to Oklahoma State where I will continue my high jump career while majoring in Business Finance.

How will your high school experiences help you in the coming years?: Throughout high school, I have had the ability to play multiple sports. In each of these sports, I have learned different lessons that I will be able to apply in my future life. I have had a lot of setbacks, such as injuries, that I have had to battle through. Learning to never give up and to always fight through adversity is one of the most important lessons I have learned.

Fondest high school memory: State track my junior year because the entire experience was amazing. I won my first state championship in high jump, got runner-up in the 4x800, and we also won the team championship as well. Being up there and doing that with my friends was an experience I will never forget.

Which teachers have had the biggest impact on you and why?: The teacher that has influenced me the most is Mrs. Campbell. No matter what was going on in my life I would always be able to go to her and talk to her. She has helped me a lot in school, and she has helped prepare me for college.

Who is your role model and how did they influence you?: My role models are my parents. I have watched them continuously sacrifice things in their life to make my brother's and my life better. They have shown me what hard work looks like and how important it is. I know that if I work hard enough, I will be able to live a successful life.

What is special about your high school?: My school does a great job of finding dual enrollment courses and pushing us to take them. I will graduate with about a year and a half of college done. This will help me a lot because it will allow me to start working on my major-specific classes sooner.

If you go back to when you were a freshman, what advice would you give yourself?: The advice I would give myself is to never give up and face everything head-on. Everybody has to face something and the people that come out on top are the ones who faced it head-on. If you try to avoid something, it will always sneak up on you and get the best of you.