Bennett Nielsen on life after high school

The oldest of five kids, this year’s Delaware Valley High School valedictorian said his family jokes that he was the experimental child. But over the last four years, he has experimented with his own interests and goals, and in doing so, made his way to the top of his class.

Planning to attend Penn State University next year to study pre-medicine, Bennett Nielsen, 18, from Milford, has latched onto a vast range of opportunities throughout his high school career. Outside of his notable academic achievement, he served as the Student Council vice president and was the reporter for his chapter of the Future Business Leaders of America, planning to head to California this summer for its national broadcast journalism competition.

There was always a lot of uncertainty regarding ranks within his graduating class, Nielsen said, so it is taking some time for the news of his academic feat to sink in.

“It was very exciting to hear because all of the work I’ve done in the past four years, to see it pay off in the end, to have such a major accomplishment was really enthralling, really exciting, when I heard my name announced,” Nielsen said.

Through his work on the Student Council, he helped to bring the Mini-THON program to the school this year, to help fundraise for pediatric cancer patients and their families at Penn State Health Children’s Hospitals, and advance research at Penn State College of Medicine. In one month, they were able to raise just under $7,000, which he called a “testament to just how successful our student government is.”

Since he was young, he said he always wanted to become an orthopedic surgeon, though he is still exploring his options within the medical field. He said several members of his family have jobs in that arena, with one uncle working as an MRI tech, his aunt for a private practice, and another uncle as a director at New York University.

After four memorable years, he said the community he has built over time has been a stand-out element of his time at DVHS. During school spirit weeks, everyone’s competitiveness and support for one another was always reflective of the type of people they are, he added.

“You’ll see students who have never interacted before cheer each other on, have fun,” Nielsen said. “It’s really a testament to our spirit as people to see each other excel.”

When sitting down to write his speech, Nielsen said he was not sure what he wanted to say. Eventually he decided to focus not mainly on his high school experience and specific accomplishments but to frame it as a thank you note to those who have helped him throughout the journey and to “lift up” his class in their final moments all together.

Though the past four years haven’t come without challenges, Nielsen said he always worked to reevaluate and readjust when facing obstacles. He credited his parents for providing him a strong support system, saying they were always there for him, present at different events and acting as a dependable “fallback system” as he grew up. Though he may complain about them from time to time, he always recognizes the ways things work out in the end, he said.

Heading to a large school, Nielsen said he is excited to meet a diverse group of people from different places with unique perspectives.

“I’ve met friends from different backgrounds who have opened me up to new experiences, and I am excited to continue that as I go onto Penn State,” he said.

While he is staying in Pennsylvania for school next year, he said one of his favorite places to travel is the Jersey shore, including Sea Side Heights, Wildwood and the nostalgia of the area.

Looking back at the years behind him, he said his time in high school went by quickly.

“Those first couple weeks, you’re going to your first homecoming football game, it’s your first school dance, your first classes with your friends,” Nielsen said. “And then it all flies by and it comes to your last game, your last dance. So definitely just try to let each moment sink in, and enjoy it while it lasts.”