As the 2024 to 2025 school year comes to a close, I wanted to take the time to shout out a senior at our school who has been an amazing person all throughout high school: Josh Benitez.
Josh Benitez is 17 years old and has attended Canyon for four years. Before attending high school, Benitez was involved in sports. More specifically, he played soccer since he was 5 years old, explaining, “It’s been the main sport in my life. I grew up playing it consistently and it’s something I’ve always loved.”
As he grew up, he continued to love sports, stating, “On the side, I also did sports like wrestling and boxing, not just for fun, but to learn how to defend myself and build confidence. Each sport taught me something different, both physically and mentally.”
He also has other hobbies, including working on cars. According to Benitez, he loves “helping my dad fix up and repair cars. I enjoy working with my hands and learning how things work, especially when it comes to engines and car parts.”
While he still enjoys sports and cars, he confessed that writing is a major part of his life, stating, “One of my passions is writing. I like writing articles, poems, or even haikus. Writing lets me express my thoughts, and it’s something I always enjoy doing in my free time.”
This love of writing has been highlighted through the role he plays in Canyon’s Journalism class. Benitez has served as a co-editor-in-chief throughout his junior and senior years at Canyon. However, Benitez was not always set on being in the class. In fact, he says, “I actually joined journalism by accident. During freshman year, I registered on the last day, and journalism was the only elective still available. Later on, they offered to take me out of the class once other spots opened up, but I ended up loving it so much that I decided to stay. It turned out to be one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. My favorite part about journalism is learning how powerful writing can be, and it’s helped me become more confident in sharing ideas and working with others.”
He continues, “Being in journalism has changed how I see school by helping me pay more attention to what’s going on around campus. Instead of just going through the day, I started noticing the stories behind events, people, and issues at school. It made me feel more connected.”
I also asked what his favorite article is that he's ever written. He said, “My favorite article I’ve ever written was my review of the Shang-Chi movie. I wrote it as a freshman, and it was actually my first article ever. It stands out to me because it’s what started my interest in writing movie reviews. It showed me that I enjoy sharing my opinions on films and breaking down what made them good or bad. That article helped me find what I really love to write about.”
I also got to know Josh’s favorite year of high school: “My favorite year of high school was senior year. It felt like every day I was making memories with my friends, whether we were going out to eat after school or even driving three hours just to hang out at the beach. It was the first time school felt balanced with fun, and I really got to enjoy the moments outside the classroom. My least favorite year was junior year. I went through an emotional breakdown while also dealing with one of the hardest academic workloads I’ve ever had. It was a tough time trying to keep up with everything at once, both mentally and academically.”
Through all of the ups and downs, Benitez has always been super loyal and appreciative of his friends, explaining, “My close friend Diego Melara has made the biggest impact on my high school experience. He’s the reason I’ve been going out almost every weekend and making every second count before everyone goes their own ways after graduation. His friendship helped me enjoy high school more and live in the moment.”
His favorite high school memory was even “meeting one of my closest friends, Diego Melara, during freshman year in Mr. Arevalo’s English class. That moment started a great friendship that has made school much more fun and meaningful for me.”
Benitez is also very talented and smart when it comes to school. He is proud of his many achievements, but he is “most proud of earning my white robe, which is only given to students who maintain a 4.0 GPA or higher all four years.”
During the fall, Benitez will attend College of the Canyons (COC). He chose to go to COC because he thinks it is a great place to start his college journey, and it will give him the chance to stay focused on his goals while staying close to home.
Lastly, I asked Benitez to shout out an important person in his life. He said, “I want to give a shout out to Neela Pearl Batrikian. She’s been really important to me because she’s always supportive. Having someone like her around makes a big difference, and I appreciate everything she has done for me.”
Josh, Journalism will miss having an amazing, talented person like you. Good luck out there. We know you will do amazing things. Thank you for all of the memories!
