Jacob Benevente
What did your time in WHEU mean to you?
WHEU has been in the spotlight of my high school life for the past four years. Since the summer of 2021, I’ve always had ‘next year’ to look forward to: another band camp, another season of zero periods, another sweepstakes win to celebrate, another concert. After these four years, WHEU has been the catalyst for my own personal growth, dozens of friendships, and countless memories. As I retrace my memories in band, I also retrace my growth as a musician, student, friend, and leader. I’ll never be able to reminisce about high school without thinking about those summers spent marching beneath the August sun, the smell of brass in the morning, running down to the football field before sunrise, and Fight Song after a touchdown. To me, WHEU will forever be post-competition gossip, the brightness of the floodlights as we march onto the field, the smell of pine after a morning of carrying Christmas Trees, and the deafening cheers after winning sweepstakes. My time in WHEU was not just part of my high school experience—it defined my high school experience. As I graduate, I happily take the memories and friendships the program has forged for me along the way.
What have you contributed to WHEU and how have those contributions supported/improved the overall experience for all of its members?
As a section leader and council member, the hallmark of my goals this year has been to make a lasting impact as I graduate from the program. I sought to impact my peers in the same ways I was my freshman year and highlight WHEU as a program to build friendships and uphold tradition. As a section leader, my approach on the field balanced friendship and authority with my section members: Lighthearted conversations while we stretched, exchanging complaints about teachers, and simultaneously ensuring my section excelled musically and visually. In council, I reformed social media to document memories with utter purity. Online, I shared clips of Matthias’ pre-performance pep talks, candid moments between section members during summer camp, and funny videos capturing each victory of the season. Furthermore, I also started “WHEU’s Road to Champs,” where I documented our scores throughout the season so that members can look back on our progress. Outside the expectations of my roles, I made meaningful change where I could: creating a makeshift floodlight at comp parking lots to make changing easier and introducing a new tradition of wearing the senior class color at our last Monday night practice of the season.
What have you learned from being a member of WHEU and how will you apply those lessons to your future endeavors?
WHEU, at its most rudimentary, is a unit. This definition, one drilled into every member, has taught me skills as both a leader and a team member. As a member these past four years, I’m more than familiar with what it takes to succeed in this team. I’ve grown as a musician and marcher by my own merit with intent to do my part as a member. And, while the unit—like a chain—is only as strong as its weakest link, it is also fueled by those who lead it. As a leader, I recognized flaws that I sought to fix this year. I learned strategies to lead groups effectively, how to teach, and how to build meaningful relationships.
I know that these lessons will serve me well in the next chapter of my education. As I navigate a new school with new people, the social and teamwork skills I developed in WHEU will come in handy. I also hope that my leadership skills will help build connections and create a meaningful impact in my college community.
Lastly, as I look toward a future in teaching and education, I no less expect these lessons of teamwork and leadership to help me in my career journey.
