My name is Kendall Benlien. I am 18 years old and a freshman in college. I am pursuing an associate liberal arts degree at Berkshire Community College. In high school, I was an honors student who participated in the National Honors Society. I also started and ran my own club to learn more about automotive. This club was put in place to replace the automotive class that got removed from the catalog after we got a new building. I am now a full-time honors student here at Berkshire Community College. I also work as a manager at a pet store here in Pittsfield.

My goals are to further my education as I discover what career path would be best for me. As of now, I am looking for something in the animal industry as I have always been a strong animal lover. I work with animals currently but I would love to be able to work even closer with animals. I have had my eye on possibly pursuing animal training. This way I would be able to work closely with animals and their parents. A career like this would allow me to make a difference with people and their pets which has always been a big thing for me. some of my biggest core values are kindness, helpfulness, and empathy, so this job would help cover all of those bases.

As for my hobbies, I have expressed my interest in anything automotive. My interest in this has been growing throughout my high school and college years and I am always enthusiastic about learning more. I also enjoy playing piano as a fun pass time as well as practicing my archery skills. I enjoy spending time with my family, friends, and animals. I currently have two red-eared slider turtles named Z and Ollie, a hedgehog named Tucker, a black and red female crown tail betta named Nova, and finally my 16-year-old miniature dachshund Chloe. I spend much of my free time caring for and loving them.