Ben Bartoy has made the most of his time at Foss High School. Whether he’s leading the math team to a historic fourth straight state title, building a Tesla coil from scratch, working toward an International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma or fostering connections through Unified Sports, Ben brings curiosity, compassion and determination to everything he does. As he prepares to graduate, Ben is looking ahead to a future in engineering and entrepreneurship, while reflecting on the teachers and experiences at Foss that helped him grow as both a student and a leader. 

Here’s what Ben had to say about his experience.  

What’s an accomplishment you’re proud of?  
    
I have three big ones. I built a Tesla coil for the physics department that creates meter-long lightning bolts. It was a very big accomplishment that took me two years to build. The day after I put the finishing touches on the coil, we had a group of middle schoolers at Foss for a tour. We decided to test the coil that day so we could show them. We weren’t sure if it would work, but it did, and it was such a cool thing to show the middle schoolers. 

Another accomplishment of mine is that I’ve been on the math team here at Foss for all four years and I’ve been the president for two years. We recently won first place in the state competition for the fourth year in a row. We are the first team in the history of the competition to win first place for four years in a row, so we are super proud.  

I’ve also been doing Unified Sports since freshman year, and we were undefeated our entire soccer season this year. I was originally introduced to Unified Sports by my biology teacher, Mr. Langton, and since then I’ve built connections with everyone on the team. It’s been a really cool experience. 

What are your plans for next year?      

The college application experience was tough for me. I ended up not getting accepted into many of the colleges I applied for, so I decided to stay local. Next year I’m going to the University of Washington – Tacoma. I want to major in electrical engineering, but eventually I’d like to transfer to a university that offers biomed engineering.  

How has your school experience helped prepare you for that pathway?       

All my teachers here at Foss have been a huge help throughout my high school career. I’ve connected with many of them on a personal level. Mr. Fullerton has been a great teacher and person I can talk to, and we have a lot of similarities. Mr. Yuong has been very supportive on the math team and just in general. I honestly wouldn’t have been involved in the math team if he didn’t see potential in me and encourage me. Mr. Langton has also been supportive of me and encouraged me to join the Unified Sports team. Those three teachers have been there for me throughout my high school career.  

In my classes, we have open conversations that go outside of the scope of curriculum and apply what we’re learning to global issues and topics. I feel like that’s prepared me for college because in college you aren’t inside a little bubble - you are more focused on the world around you.  

Where have you shown the most grit in your high school career?      

During my freshman and sophomore years, the math team was mostly comprised of a really strong group of juniors and seniors. When they graduated, I became president of the team, and it was up to me to use what I learned from them and lead the team. It was a big learning experience for me because I had little leadership experience before that. I feel like now I’m able to reflect and see how far I’ve come since my freshman year on the team.  

What are you looking forward to next year?      

I’m looking forward to the college experience and moving to the next chapter of life. I’m also working toward starting a headphone brand. I’ve been working on designing the product, reaching out to manufacturers and lining everything up so that once I turn 18, I can establish an LLC. I'm not expecting to be very successful, but it’s going to be a good learning experience in both engineering and business.  

What’s something your biggest fan would say about you?   

I asked my friends if they were my biggest fans and they gave me the side eye, but they did say that they think I’m cool. My parents were more detailed of course. They said I was creative, empathetic, a successful student, and all that good stuff.  

Describe yourself in three words.       

My corny answer is “outside the box.”  

My inside-the-box answer is kind, curious and creative.