As senior Andrew Bennett drives to school before the sun rises — a daily routine — he pictures his day: band, school, soccer, home.
Other students may have to be at school or go to after school practices, but Bennett’s energy and work ethic set him apart.
At 6:30 a.m. on a Monday, Bennett is already at school getting ready to direct the marching band as a drum major. After his zero hour, an early morning band practice that also takes up first hour, Bennett finishes his other three classes of the day and heads straight to the locker room to get ready for soccer practice. After two hours of soccer, he can finally head home for the day.
Between varsity soccer, marching band, church events, volunteering and homework, Bennett’s schedule is packed.
Despite minimal free time, Bennett always shows up to every practice, game or performance with plenty of energy and a willingness to work.
“When he's out [on the field], he's busting his tail,” varsity soccer coach Jamie Kelly said. “He's doing everything that we ask him to do. He's out there trying to [play] to the best of his ability, and that speaks volumes for everybody else.”
Bennett’s strong work ethic is one of the main reasons he made the varsity team his senior year and has achieved such success, according to Kelly.
It’s Bennett’s first year on varsity, but that doesn’t stop him from getting enough playing time to make an impact. Bennett uses the minutes he has to step up and prove how good a player he is by scoring goals for the team.
“He's worked hard every year to try to get to the varsity level and that’s a testament to his hard work,” Kelly said.
Bennett pairs his work ethic with unwavering energy and a good attitude that doesn’t go unnoticed by his peers. This positive outlook stands out during early morning band practices, according to fellow band member, senior Jack Stratemeier.
“Even if you know he had a hard day, he still brings a lot of energy to [practice], which is a good thing,” Stratemeier said.
In addition to soccer and band, Bennett spends time volunteering at his church, Country Club Christian Church, located on Ward Parkway.
“I do try and volunteer a lot with my church and stuff, like mission trips,” Bennett said. “That's a part of the church's experience.”
Bennett has enjoyed multiple mission trips — the most recent ones being Fort Worth, Tennessee, in 2024 and Ecuador in 2023.
“I've gone both domestic and international [mission trips], so it's been super cool,” Bennett said.
Bennett’s ability to spend time helping his community is admirable, according to Stratemeier, and so is his ability to stay positive when his schedule gets busy.
High energy can uplift any group, but Bennett takes it one step further and demonstrates his genuine care for the communities he’s involved in. He is constantly setting up and taking down equipment before and after band practices and helping anyone who needs it, according to Stratemeier.
“He's at school at 6:15 a.m. in the morning almost every day,” Stratemeier said. “And he stays late and he helps out with everyone else in the band.”
Bennett enjoys staying busy and has gained many important and life-long skills through his numerous extracurricular activities.
“You always have fun while you’re [participating in extracurriculars], but it definitely taught me a lot of skills like good work ethic and putting time away for working on things,” Bennett said.
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