Gabriel Arboleda Benek, better known as "Gabe" or "Gabo", is a proud citizen of both Colombia and the United States. Gabriel spent most of his childhood in Cali, Colombia, but he moved to the U.S. with his mother in 2019. While he has made many friends during his time here, he plans to return to Colombia for higher education after he graduates from MHS. From there, he hopes to become a sociologist and write several essays.
Gabriel is well known for his revolutionary ideals and his efforts to create social change, both in and out of school. He has an affinity for social science and philosophy, and his collection of philosophical literature continues to grow. In Gabriel's words, "I couldn't live without my library; in fact, I'm going to take it with me when I return to Colombia." However, his love of philosophy did not start with lengthy treatises, but with dystopias, Latin American literature, and science fiction. His favorite book series is the Mars trilogy, which he loves for its analysis of a struggle for independence millions of miles from Earth.
Gabriel has commented that his favorite series is Steven Universe, and he has particularly said that he identifies with the characters of Peridot and Lapis Lazuli. He also mentioned that his favorite philosophers are Mario Bunge and Paulo Freire, the former for his scientific philosophy and his constant pursuit of accuracy, while the latter for his pedagogy and philosophy of liberation.
Another experience that grew his love for the social sciences happened while visiting Colombia over the summer. His father works at a school, and during Gabriel's last visit, he was briefly put in charge of an elementary class. Within the first five minutes, the children arranged to leave the room all at once. Since then, he has known that social change is always possible, no matter the circumstances. Because of his experience with social strife, Gabriel has one parting piece of advice for the freshmen: "Always question everything, especially in classes on the social sciences, and form your own opinions."