Alumni Success Stories : Success Story

Seizing Opportunities
Jonathan Benabou, Class of 2005
Hometowns: Newport Beach, Calif., and Jerusalem, Israel
Goals: Transfer to a highly competitive four-year institution and pursue a career in law and high technology

I was born in California, but I spent most of my school years in Israel. When I was 18, I came back to the States, because I thought the educational opportunities in this country would be greater. I completed my secondary education at a Jewish high school in Orange County and then I applied to Marymount after a friend recommended it.

At first, my parents were a little concerned about my attending a college founded in the Catholic tradition—they’re traditional Sephardic Jews who were born in Morocco—but after a while they saw how great the school has been for me. Now my younger brother is also a student here.

My time at Marymount was fabulous in every way. I remember the first day here I went up to the Director of Campus Ministry and told him I was religious and wanted to get involved. So, I formed a Jewish Club, and now it’s a pretty large group on campus.

Marymount opened doors to me and exposed me to a lot of different people, ideas and opportunities. One of my most rewarding experiences was as president of the student Academic Integrity Committee. Last year, I went with a number of students at the College to the University of Kansas for a national collegiate integrity conference. We met peers from all over the nation and discussed how to promote integrity on our campuses. I was also active in the honor society, where I served as the club’s public relations officer.

I took the most challenging classes: math, science and Honors Program courses. It’s part of getting the full experience here. At Marymount, I learned that if you give 100 percent, the College gives 100 percent back in return. If you come in ambitious and determined, you no doubt will succeed.Based on my record at Marymount, I applied to a bunch of highly competitive colleges and universities throughout the United States. I’m grateful to the College for widening my options and allowing me to develop my leadership skills, and I feel very prepared to tackle the next years of undergraduate school.