EDITOR'S NOTE: This is the third in a series of articles profiling distinguished recent graduates of local high schools. Students were asked how their schools helped prepare them for higher education and life outside of Arkansas.
The pursuit of an elite education at Duke University in North Carolina proved to be a challenge Dre Bennett learned he could tackle.
Now a senior, a hectic schedule on and off campus has not deterred the 2012 Lake Hamilton graduate. Bennett chose to major in Political Science and enrolled at Duke just a month after he graduated high school. He was ranked 10th in a graduating class of 270 students.
Bennett earned an academic scholarship and walked on to the football team after starring for the Lake Hamilton Wolves. He is the son of Chianne Capel and Deidrick Bennett.
The Wolves went 12-2 in Bennett's senior season and reached the Class 6A state championship game. El Dorado bested Lake Hamilton 24-20 in the state title game at War Memorial Stadium.
Bennett caught three passes for 57 yards in his final game, giving him a team-high season total of 891 receiving yards. He also lettered three years in baseball and led Lake Hamilton to the 2010 6A championship.
A heavy workload on the football team prevents Bennett from visiting Arkansas, save for two to three weeks out of the year. He said he chose to attend Duke because he felt the school presented the best opportunity to him. He also considered Brown University, an Ivy League research university in Rhode Island, and Davidson College in North Carolina.
"I wanted to go out of the state of Arkansas to learn experience new cultures and meet new people," Bennett said.
Bennett has maintained a 3.1 grade-point average through three-plus years on the Blue Devils football team while working two jobs about 15-20 hours a week. He is also a member of the "Democracy Matters" group on campus and the Delta Sigma Phi fraternity.
"Classes were more difficult in the beginning because I actually had to learn how to take proper notes and how to effectively study for tests/exams," Bennett said.
Life at Duke has presented Bennett with new opportunities and a new setting for learning.
"It's very different, but in a positive way, I believe," Bennett said. "You meet people from all over the world here at Duke with different backgrounds, religious/spiritual beliefs and entirely different cultures. For me, it's been an opportunity to challenge why I believe some of the things I believe. But at times I do miss being able to closely relate to my friends."
Bennett said the culture of Hot Springs felt more family oriented and relaxed than Durham, where Duke is located. He believes the community in Durham feels younger and much more diverse than Hot Springs. Bennett said schools can introduce different aspects of other cultures to decrease the impact of culture shock when students leave the area.
"Things like trying different kinds of food, truly learning about the different religions in the world and encouraging students to ask questions about what's going in different parts of the world," Bennett said.
Bennett feels students from other states may be more prepared for universities such as Duke.
"I wasn't prepared for how difficult school would be in terms of the workload and the format of exams," Bennett said. "But at times I think that coming from more humble beginnings helped me to be more open and willing to learn than some students who may have come from extremely prestigious high schools.
"I believe Arkansas schools should encourage students to consider schools other than the most commonly attended ones within Arkansas," he added. "Students need to be more involved in things like community service so that they can learn about people outside of their own niche. Also, schools need to put more of an emphasis on SAT preparation."
Bennett has not finalized his plans for life after graduation, but he said Teach for America could be option. He said he is looking forward to the rest of the football season and more new experiences with friends throughout his senior year.
"I want to take advantage of the vast pool of resources Duke offers that I won't have once I graduate," Bennett said. "I plan on solidifying my relationships with some of my favorite professors before I leave."
Local on 10/04/2015