Zachary Bennett is always on the go.
Depending on the time of day you catch him, he might be mentoring chemistry students, researching at the Oral Health Research Institute, swimming with the IUPUI swim team, or studying in the Honors College.
“Time management is the key to my success,” says Bennett, who has logged over 180 hours of volunteer work during his four years at IUPUI. “You have to be efficient with the time you have.”
Bennett, a biology major, was one of six students to receive a Multidisciplinary Undergraduate Research Institute Grant, which allowed him to do a summer of research alongside faculty at the IU School of Dentistry.
“I loved coming into the lab and having a challenge every day,” Bennett says. “You never knew what was going to happen until you continued the trial and error.”
Time management is the key to my success.
An aspiring dentist, Bennett is minoring in Spanish in hopes of one day being able to better serve Spanish-speaking patients. He recently studied abroad in Salamanca, Spain, to improve his language skills.
“It was a pinnacle experience in my undergraduate career,” Bennett says about his trip. “Experiencing a different culture really changes your perspective on things, and you never know when you’ll get another chance to study abroad after undergrad.”
As the Athlete Advisory Committee President, Bennett also is a liaison between athletes and the university administration. Bennett says he has always been drawn to leadership positions and he encourages students to realize the significance of leading.
“It’s important to master leadership roles in undergrad, so you have it figured out before going into the work world,” he says.
As a lifelong athlete, Bennett, a Chancellor’s Scholar, appreciates the competitive spirit and drive of his fellow Honors Scholars.
“When you have an Honors College student as a class partner, you know you can depend on them to get their work done because you know that person wants to strive for success as much as you do.”