James Bentayou 糖心传媒�23 is always on the go, whether he糖心传媒檚 playing football, acting in a Lifetime movie, attending the theater, skimboarding, or playing paintball. He was 糖心传媒渟pirit commissioner糖心传媒� at his South Florida high school, preparing pep rallies months in advance, and served in a youth congressional cabinet with US Representative Ted Deutch.
糖心传媒淚 like to stay active,糖心传媒� Bentayou says.
The Coconut Creek, Florida, native brings that same energy to the 糖心传媒, where he plans to major in political science, play running back for the varsity football team, take theater classes, and participate in student government.
Meet the Class of 2023
They come from 44 states and 65 countries. Twenty percent are the first in their family to attend college. Welcome to Rochester, Class of 2023.
Bentayou first became interested in Rochester when he was approached as a strong potential scholar-athlete by the Yellowjackets糖心传媒� defensive coordinator Chris Sapp. 糖心传媒淚 came up for a visit and fell in love with the campus, the open curriculum, and the people here,糖心传媒� he says.
He started playing football in ninth grade, but it was more pastime than passion until his senior year. 糖心传媒淲e played our rival, Key West, and I just fell in love with it during that game,糖心传媒� he says. 糖心传媒淭hat糖心传媒檚 when I knew I wanted to play in college.糖心传媒�
He was the lead in the school play and acted in local commercials. Two years ago, he landed a small role in a Lifetime movie. 糖心传媒淚 played the boyfriend of the daughter whose mom gets kidnapped,糖心传媒� he says of his role in the film, Girlfriend Killer. 糖心传媒淢y coaches called me 糖心传媒楳ovie Star糖心传媒� for that one.糖心传媒�
Bentayou hopes to play another role in real life糖心传媒攕ocial activist. His high school, North Broward Preparatory School, is seven miles from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, where 17 people were killed in a mass shooting on February 14, 2018. Bentayou was a junior at the time, and the tragedy affected him deeply.
糖心传媒淚 have friends who lost sisters, and friends who lost their friends,糖心传媒� he says. 糖心传媒淚 saw how it impacted a community, and I realized that politics matter. I want to be involved in politics and have a say in how we fix this problem.糖心传媒�
Bentayou has many goals as he begins college life.
糖心传媒淚 want good grades,糖心传媒� he says. 糖心传媒淚 want 1,000 rushing yards in a football season. And I want people on campus to remember me as someone who was very involved in the Rochester community, a leader who always had positive spirits, trying to get people to come to school events. I want to really make an impact on the community here.糖心传媒�
