Benyshek is March student of the month

Bricen Benyshek has a lot going on in his young life. Being named the Concordia High School (CHS) Student of the Month for March is just another feather in a cap already crowded with feathers.
The son of Jeff and Kristi Benyshek, Bricen has participated in Hopewell Corners 4-H (he is the president), the Cloud County 4-H Council (he is the president), the Concordia FFA Chapter (he is the president), and he is a member of the Kansas and National FFA Band (he plays the euphonium), the Shrine Bowl Band, and the NCK All League Band. He is also co-captain of the Scholars Bowl, vice-president of the Key Club, and he's a member of the National Honor Society, the National Society of High School Scholars, Chess Club, and the Concordia Wesleyan Church.
And when he graduates from CHS, he will simultaneously graduate from Cloud County Community College.
That's impressive.
“I don't have a lot of spare time,” Benyshek said with a smile.
When he does have a little time to himself, he enjoys his main hobby: photography. “I really like to do landscapes and still life, like plants,” he said.
His other hobbies include chess, and he is, of course, the #1 ranked player at CHS. “I've been playing chess since the first grade. Melissa Stiles taught me how to play,” Benyshek said, then added a little sheepishly, “By the fourth grade I was beating her.”
At the state chess tournament, sponsored by the Kansas Scholastic Chess Association, Benyshek played a match for first place, lost, and ended up finishing fifth. “Chess really helps me improve my strategic thinking skills. To be good at chess you always have to be thinking at least two or three moves ahead. I'd like to keep playing. I'd be moving up into the U.S. Chess Federation, and that's the professional world of chess.”
Benyshek plans to attend either Kansas State University or Baylor University and get a degree in engineering, and then become a doctor. “I'm going to study bio-medical engineering. You need a bachelor's degree to get into medical school. I'm not sure yet, but I think I'd like to be a pediatric surgeon.”
When Benyshek looks to the future he sees himself living in a small town. “I can really see myself back in a rural area, having livestock and a farm and also working as a doctor.”
Benyshek wanted to thank a lot of people who have guided him through his life thus far, especially his sister, Allison Steier. “She was a big mentor to me growing up,” he said. “She was 10 when I was born, so she really looked after me, and pushed me to do things, like FFA. She is one of the most kind-hearted, wholesome people I know.”
Benyshek also wanted to thank his coaches and school mentors: “Krystal Nelson, Alexis Koops, Zac Morris, John Turner, Stuart Roegge – they've all been very helpful to me and I appreciate their guidance.”
Congratulations to Bricen Benyshek, the CHS Student of the Month for March.