Jumping out of bed and getting ready, walking across campus, moving steady, attending classes as time permits, squeezing in work and other bits, it all became a blurred sensation, a race with time and its vibration. Each time I felt I was making progress, I got stumped for longer periods of time; this semester was a puzzle. It was one of the most challenging, fast-moving yet defining periods of my life. I had never experienced the level of discipline required to balance multiple credit hours, upper-level math, demanding engineering courses, and time-intensive labs before. Every decision I made felt like a puzzle made up of deadlines and exams, and I was constantly rearranging pieces to see what fit. But academics were only a piece of the puzzle.
A major piece of my semester puzzle comes from working in an entomology research lab, where precision and methodical effort are essential. My research has involved studying insect behavior, ecology, and biodiversity through population data, field sampling, and species identification. This work has sharpened my analytical skills and deepened my understanding of ecosystems, reinforcing responsibility, attention to detail, and consistency—even when results are still unfolding. Through this experience, I have learned that growth comes not just from completing tasks, but from cultivating patience, focus, and persistence.
Adding to these responsibilities is my role as a Kansas FFA state officer, where I have the honor of serving nearly 14,000 FFA members from all across the state. This position is another major piece of the puzzle, one that must interlock carefully with the others. It is not confined to a single time or place; it follows me through my days, shaping how I use every spare moment and challenging me to align each commitment with purpose. This semester alone, I have grown in many ways, including writing curriculum, creating content, and ensuring every workshop delivers real impact. Every visit or stakeholder event requires its own careful arrangement, which has taught me how to balance responsibility, adaptability, and leadership in a complex, ever-changing schedule.
When I have time, I fill in the extra spaces with activities that bring me joy, like hiking the Konza Prairie, visiting Tuttle Creek, baking cookies, and taking photos. These small, meaningful moments provide balance to my other responsibilities, much like finding the right pattern for each puzzle piece allows the whole picture to fall into place. Adding joy is essential because it recharges my energy, clears my mind, and helps me approach challenges with a fresh perspective. Without these moments, it would be easy to become overwhelmed or frustrated, stopping me in my tracks just as a misplaced puzzle piece would.
With every piece connected, this semester has forced me to prioritize, communicate, and manage my time with intention. It has not been easy—there were moments when I felt stretched to my limit—but navigating these challenges has shaped me into someone stronger, more adaptable, and more confident in my ability to lead. Leadership lives in an unfinished space, where resilience means continuously building the puzzle even before the final pattern appears. Growth has meant embracing the parts of the picture I cannot yet see and trusting that progress counts, even when the pieces do not fit; it happens when you take on more than you think you can, rise to the occasion, and place the pieces as the puzzle forms.
Leadership is in how you place your pieces. What will your puzzle look like if you dared to rearrange them?
Bricen Benyshek
State Reporter