Teamwork is a core aspect of being a Benet Redwing. In and outside of his academic life, Kostas Stundzia is a Redwing one can look to for leadership and teamwork. Kostas is involved in the Benet Band and Guitar Club. He also serves as the captain of the Benet Frosh/Soph Soccer Team. He believes that these activities help teach him about two principles of leadership: experience and awareness.

Kostas’ success as soccer captain comes from his team’s willingness to collaborate with each other: “Teamwork shows its colors in games,” he stated; “In practice you see all the empty spaces your team has to fill in a game.” Kostas’ belief is that to succeed in high-pressure situations, you must understand your teammates. This is a skill that can only be learned by watching others play during games and observing their strengths and weaknesses during these stress-inducing matches.

Kostas also greatly values practice. When asked about his experience with the band, he replied, “As a community we recognize each other’s roles and can improve our own performance by being aware of each other.” He knows that being aware of one other is particularly important to success as a team. In band, Kostas must be acutely aware of the tempo of the piece as well as the speed of the other players. This allows him to improve with the group.

Despite only being a sophomore, Kostas is an important Redwing who, like many of us, strives to succeed in all aspects of Benet Academy.