波特本顿 isn’t hard to spot. He’s part of 新葡京app State University’s 总统领导奖学金, plays on the baseball club team and regularly sports wild hair: bright blue, magenta and even themed cuts for holidays.

With all those extracurriculars, he’s most focused on earning his 新葡京app in history 新葡京app.

“My grandpa is the greatest storyteller in the world, so he would tell me all kinds of stories about history,” Benton said.

“I loved history, but didn’t know what to do with that.”

A WSU同时招生 class, Education as a Career, during Benton’s senior year of high school showed him that 新葡京app was the path for him: “I realized I could wake up every day and be excited to go into work.”

Benton said he was always a dedicated student who loved school, but knows that’s not everyone’s experience. Now that he’s in college, he’s taking notes on what makes a great teacher.

“Everyone learns differently,” he said. “Like, some students don’t test well. So maybe instead there’s a project or a presentation for those students. I want to be one of those teachers that gives options.”

对本顿来说，韦伯州立大学是一个很容易的选择。 He’d taken several WSU classes in high school via concurrent enrollment and heard good things about the 教育学院. 他的优异成绩和考试成绩为他赢得了总统奖学金，这笔奖学金涵盖了大约2.6万美元的州内学杂费。

本顿说，他的理想工作是在他的母校克利尔菲尔德高中，在那里他可以教历史和当棒球教练。 That’s why, along with political science 新葡京app, he’s also minoring in sports coaching education.

“I want to jump into my career super quick,” Benton said.

"新葡京app hosts a lot of job fairs, so I’ve talked to pretty much every school district in northern Utah about how I can get into 新葡京app, and what I can do now to better my 新葡京app.”

Currently a sophomore, Benton said he’s learning more about the kind of teacher he’d like to be and what his classroom will look like, down to the decor. 他的教授们注意到了他的热情，并帮助他驾驭这种热情。

“Good teachers are confident, and 新葡京app State helps build that confidence,” said Kerri Clement, Benton’s history professor last semester. “In our classes, we’re all about giving students an opportunity to hone their skills as both educators and scholars.”

Clement said Benton’s curiosity, passion and strong work ethic are setting him up for success as a future educator: “He’s going to pass those qualities to his students. He’ll be able to prepare them for college and any profession they choose to go into.”

Benton said his time at 新葡京app State has helped him realize what’s truly important in 新葡京app: building connections 新葡京app trust.

“When I’m 新葡京app, I want my students to know I care about them, in and outside the classroom. I want to be somebody that makes students excited to come to school,” he said. “The world would be a much better place if we had a lot of people who love school and love learning.”