Learner Spotlight: Ivan Baney

iLEAD Exploration learner Ivan Baney is an ideal candidate to demonstrate self-control, this month’s SLO. He keeps a daily calendar to stay on track with goals and responsibilities. He chooses to finish his work, whether at home or at school, before doing extracurricular activities. The ninth grader cheerfully takes recommendations and constructive criticism and uses it to make better choices in future situations. And although he wants to relax and have fun, like all teens, he has set high goals for himself and is willing to work hard and then enjoy time off.

One of those high goals is to become an Eagle Scout. Ivan has been a scout since he was six years old and has moved from being a Cub Scout to a Boy Scout. He attends scout meetings weekly, participates in summer and winter camp, and also is striving to earn merit badges along the way to the prestigious distinction of Eagle Scout. Scouting is a big part of Ivan’s life and also keeps him involved in many service projects in the community as well as fun, team-building activities like a Dungeons and Dragons gaming group that many of his fellow scouts participate in.

Ivan wants to be an engineer when he grows up, so he is always learning new technology skills. This year he is learning how to build a computer from scratch and also dove into learning coding and basic programming. He has taken an intense interest in growing his math skills, as he knows this will be invaluable to his career. In middle school, Ivan struggled with math, but once he learned that he needs strong math skills for his dream job, he had a change of mind and activated his self-control. With daily work, tutoring when needed, and a dramatic shift in his attitude toward mathematics, Ivan is now seeing the fruits of his hard work in a high score in algebra!

Ivan is a work-hard, play-hard kind of guy. He has many hobbies, including playing complex board games with friends and family. His favorites are war games based on historical events. He also plays the piano daily both for school and for pleasure; he greatly enjoys the process of creating music. In the warm months he enjoys tennis, rebounding, and biking in the mountains.