benancio

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Benancio is from a tiny, farm town north of Grand Rapids, Michigan. Grant was filled with low-income, blue-collar families, many of which never saw far outside of the city. But from early in his high school career, Benancio knew he wanted to go to college. During his senior year of high school at Grant, Benancio was duel-enrolled at his school, as well as the local community college. Upon graduating, Benancio planned to continue attending Muskegon Community College (MCC) to obtain his Associate's Degree. 

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With ten brothers and sisters at home, Benancio felt stuck. He saw a few of his friends go off to college, and felt anxious to finish his degree at MCC. Luckily, Benancio found solace in research by befriending a scientist doing gene work in a lab in Muskegon. Winning awards, presenting his work at conferences across the country, and finding his true passions-- working in a lab.

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Upon graduating from MCC, Benancio came to Michigan. His love for research was very much alive, but the academics and social scenes were overbearing. Hear how coming from a low-income background and a small high school shaped Benancio's experience once he became a U-M student.