Benny Ortiz

Most traditional college students leave home for the first time when attending college. The transition from a childhood home to college can be a struggle for some students. No longer being around one’s family or having the familiarity of the hometown is a massive change. The reaction to this change usually develops a new passion for the new people the student meets.  

“I’m a very loyal person, just a good friend,” Benny Ortiz said. “My family is back in Casper, so that’s all I can be, a good friend to people.”

After two years at Casper College, Ortiz, 21, moved out of his hometown of Casper, Wyo. He transferred to the University of Wyoming, 152 miles away, to pursue his Bachelor of Arts in criminal justice. With his experience in photography, he has some plans to be a forensic photographer.

He has found solace in those around him and strengthened the relationships he already had. Ortiz lives with his two best friends from high school, Enrique Jimenez and Alexia Mendez. Through this bond that Ortiz has built up, it has given him a space in Laramie, Wyo. that is recognizable and comfortable to him. Particularly because of who he puts around himself.

“I definitely look for the same in other people, including loyalty,” Ortiz said. “It’s a big thing for me.”

The relationships that Ortiz has are extremely important to him. Much of his time he spends outside of working on his coursework and degree is spent with others. This could be as simple as hanging out at his apartment with his roommates or going out on the small town of Laramie.

“There’s not a lot to do here in Laramie, but at least it’s something,” Ortiz said.

Ortiz and his friends make do with what there is to do in Laramie by going out to dinner, going to see a movie or even going out to the bar scene downtown. They’ll spend the most time at the Buckhorn Bar and Parlor as they aren’t much of ones to barhop. However, for spending the most time there, Ortiz was unaware of the term “Buck-30,” the expression used for when every other patron will leave the other bars and head to the Buck at 12:30 a.m.

One of the other locations in downtown Laramie Ortiz and his friends have gone to is the Crowbar and Grill. As one of the few late night dining options open on the weekends, they will stop in to grab a drink as well as some of their well-known Pad Thai fries.

While loyalty and his relationships are very valuable to Ortiz, he also has plenty of alone time away from them. For his coursework, it mainly includes him working on his laptop and reading textbook chapters. He spends around three to four hours a day working on his classes, which can be a little boosted compared to normal as he has two online classes still following the COVID-19 pandemic.

Outside of his classes, Ortiz tries to regularly make it to the Half-Acre Gym at UW.

“It’s a constant battle with the gym,” Ortiz joked. “It always is a battle.”

While at the gym, Ortiz tries to make sure he gets a run in on the treadmills as well as lifting. When he’s at the gym alone, he will just use the machines, but prefers to be able to use the bench press and other equipment on the first floor of the gym. However, he only uses these if he goes to the gym with someone so that he can have a spotter while lifting.

Ortiz prefers to go to the gym with one of his friends or roommates, as it makes it more enjoyable, and he feels as though he can get a better workout this way.

The loyalty that Ortiz believes makes him, him is what drives much of his life and his decisions. Through mundane tasks of cooking or going to the grocery store, he has his roommates, Jimenez and Mendez, with him to spend time with them. These relationships are some of the most important to Ortiz and can be seen through the polaroid pictures taped to his mirror in his bedroom.

Ortiz’s loyalty is evident in his actions, and it is evident that he has put people around him that he also views to be loyal to him. His prioritization in these relationships is to be one single thing. A good friend.