He calls himself a gearhead, happiest when he’s tinkering with something.
Jonathan Benchabat leads the robotics team and the JROTC at Coral Glades High School in Coral Springs.
“Taking the next step, approaching harder challenges is what keeps driving me, because I want to see what I am capable of,” Jonathan said.
You could call Jonathan, who’s been accepted to the United States Military Academy at West Point, a big man on campus. His friends call him a role model.
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“Jonathan is not selfish whatsoever, he’s the complete opposite and Jonathan is someone that I look up to every day,” said Sebastian Gallo, a classmate.
“I feel like everyone needs that one person that’s always there for them, everyone needs that person to talk to and uplift them when they need uplifting, and he’s definitely that type of person that will be there for you when you need him,” Reybe Pichardo, another classmate, said.
Jonathan’s JROTC instructor says he embodies the values of West Point.
“Honor, duty, country, service, all positive things that we look for, and we strive for and we want to see in our young Americans,” said Master Sergeant Charles Dean.
So you might be wondering, what drew Jonathan to West Point? For starters, both of his sisters are West Point graduates and his immigrant parents have military experience.
“Both of my parents came from Israel, and in Israel, you have to serve once you turn 18, and I think, in my opinion, the way I see it, I think this country is the greatest country in the whole world and I think it does so much for us, that I think it’s one of the greatest things you can do is to serve the country that serves you,” Jonathan explained.
He has engineering and military service in his future, because West Point requires a minimum of five years in the Army after graduation, and Jonathan leaves a legacy of achievement and mentoring at his high school.
“I hope that the path I’ve taken is something that people can look up to,” Jonathan said.
Setting the bar high and getting the job done, it’s what this young man does.
