Alumni Spotlight: Ben Dogonniuck, Class of 2017

Ben Dogonniuck, class of 2017,  has been happily living the Colorado life ever since he graduated North Penn High School. He might have seemed like a normal student, born and raised in the North Penn School District, but this couldn’t be farther from the truth. Even being involved in numerous clubs and sports couldn’t keep Dogonniuck away from success, and it is because of his years at North Penn that he has been doing so well far away from home.

The friends he has made, the clubs he has joined, and the positions he has held while at North Penn are just some out of the many reasons why Ben Dogonniuck is proud to be a North Penn Alumni. Although Colorado is over 1,500 miles away, North Penn will always hold a spot in his heart.

Why Colorado some may ask? Maybe Dogonniuck just needed some time away from home? Maybe he wanted a change of weather? While these may be partially true, the main reason was the college he wanted to attend.

“Around my junior year, I decided I wanted to attend the Colorado School of Mines for Mining Engineering. Luckily, I made that dream a reality. I am currently a second semester sophomore, and I love the decision I made. I am at the top-ranked Mining Program in the world working my butt off to one day get a great job in the Mining Industry,” he shared.

Mining sure does keep Dogonniuck busy, but just like his years at North Penn, he couldn’t resist himself when it came to sports and extracurriculars. These include, but are not limited to, Army ROTC, a fraternity (Beta Theta Pi), peer mentoring, and intramural sports.

Army ROTC seems to take up a good majority of Dogonniuck’s freetime, as he is required to attend physical training three times a week, labs once a week, and weekend long Field Training Exercises once a semester. This hard training will pay off in the end, as he plans on becoming a National Guard Officer in the future.

Overall, Ben Dogonniuck continues to make make North Penn proud, even though he is in the western hemisphere.

One-on-one with Ben Dogonniuck:

What were you involved with at North Penn?

“During my time at North Penn, I was on the track team for four years and the football team for three years. I was a member of the Key Club and held the positions of Treasurer and President throughout my three years of involvement. I was part of the first ever Link Crew piloted by Mr. Fluck and Mr. Berger. Also, I was part of the Engineering Academy which let me be involved with an out of class project focused on tracking the eyes of a quadriplegic student in order for him to communicate better.”

What do you miss most about North Penn?

“I miss the track team at North Penn the most. I miss going to practice, meets, and just hanging out with the guys on the team. The lessons of hard work and dedication I learned through my time on the team have stuck with me to this point, and I still reflect back on my time there today.”

What do you do in your free time?

“Outside of classes, I enjoy all Colorado has to offer. I head into the mountains to various resorts to snowboard on the weekends and hike all of the nearby trails. I sometimes head up to Boulder to visit friends at the University of Colorado or go into Denver and catch a Nuggets or an Avalanche game.”

What are your career goals?

“My goal is to graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Mining Engineering. Upon graduation, I will also commission as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Army. I hope to become a National Guard Officer so that I can stay in the country and keep a civilian job. With my degree, I plan to head into the Mining Industry with goals to become a Mine Manager for a few years before pursuing a Masters in Business and heading over to the corporate side of Mining and eventually independent consulting.”

Do you have any advice for current high school students?

“If I could give any advice to high school students, it would be ‘take a risk’. I took a big gamble going to almost all away across the country to a small school in Colorado, but I do not regret the choices I made. This time in your life is the best time to make a mistake because you can almost always make a change if necessary. Without taking that first risk, I would not be who I am today.”