When you can’t find Benji Herrera singing, dancing, or acting, you will certainly find him talking. The rising senior from San Jose prides himself for his ability to strike up conversation with anyone, anywhere. That “anywhere” tends to be Latino College Prep Academy, where Benji works in school musicals, pushes himself academically, and plays four different instruments. Fiercely attached to his family, Benji views it as a personal duty to uphold his older cousins’ legacy during his senior year — a mission to spread spirit throughout the school halls. As an eight-year-old, Benji fell in love with medicine after reading a book about the human body, and his research led to a passion for cardiology and a dream of being a heart surgeon. No matter what he does in life, however, Benji promises to do it with positivity and warmth.

By Meena Rakasi