Senior Spotlight: Rogelio “Ro”

What are your plans after you graduate?

In the fall, I will attend the University of Illinois (UIC) as an Evans Scholar to study Civil Engineering. I also plan to save up for a studio space so I can further work on my art and flourish in a creative space.

How do you feel Bennett has prepared you for what comes next?

Bennett has helped prepare me by giving me good note-taking and presentation skills, which will be helpful since college has a lot of that. I’ve also learned many valuable life lessons and achieved goals throughout my time here that will stick with me.

Why did you choose/decide to go to Bennett Day School?

Bennett was a recommendation from my previous school, GCE, which closed. I decided that Bennett was the best option for me since it had a similar approach to GCE.

What’s your favorite project-based learning (PBL) memory?

My favorite PBL was from my third trimester junior year, since I was able to work on my own project. I made a butterfly sanctuary, which took around 8 weeks to complete. This was my favorite because I was able to do this in honor of a man named Homero Gomez Gonzalez, an environmental activist and agricultural engineer who was known as the monarch guardian. It was fun to build a structure, especially for a good purpose. Soon after, I had the pleasure of feeding and helping the monarchs grow from their first stage of life all the way to their last.

Tell us about your internship experience(s) at Bennett.

I interned with Mercy Home For Boys And Girls, where I had the opportunity to build a website for their vocational support, which was successful. I enjoyed my time interning there and being in a space I was familiar with.

What advice would you give rising seniors?

No matter how hard things get mentally and physically, you can’t give in. You have to be resilient, because at the end of the day, you’ve only got yourself.