By Rachel Vigil

An artist and exceptional Farmer, Ben Skaflen has been a large part of this year’s senior class. He is a member of National Honors Society, National Art Honors Society, and Technology Students Association.

Skaflen has played indoor soccer all four years and was an assistant soccer coach freshman and sophomore years. Destination Imagination was also an activity of Skaflen’s all four years of high school and he was an assistant art teacher his junior and senior year. Outside of school he is a donation attendant at ARC thrift store as a job his senior years.

Skaflen is thought of as understanding and helpful. His family and friends also note that he blends the worlds of engineering and art together well. Skaflen thinks of his own best quality as his dedication and ability to commit to a task and go through with it.

His mom has been  his biggest influence over the years. She pushes Skaflen to do his best and pursue what he wants to do. English teacher Matt Couch showed him he could actually write somewhat, as well as make things up on the fly. Art teacher Frankie Scagleoine also was influential for “showing me my passion for art and teaching me how to use that passion,” said Skaflen.

Skaflen doesn’t regret much of what he has done in high school, though he may have enjoyed enrolling in an art class a semester earlier than he did. Overall the AP path has suited him well. His friends are what he will miss the most from high school, as most of them are going to different colleges than he is.

If given a wish, Skaflen would wish for a superpower, either teleportation or telekinesis. Skaflen’s dreams include flying a pig into battle and becoming successful in engineering.

One memorable moment of Skaflen’s is a day in Physics C. “My friend Hunter was chasing me around on a unicycle while I was on a Ripstick. He was also shooting me with a Nerf Gun which was pretty funny,” said Skaflen, “Oh and we filmed it and called it Ben Bond.”

This summer, Skaflen is going on a two week trip with Couch and a group of students to France, Monaco, and Italy. He recommends that other students do things with their friends on the weekends to prevent the death of their souls. Skaflen will attend Colorado State University and major in Civil Engineering.