Benjamin Auyang is this week’s Campus Cutie! He is a UF cheerleader who comes from Avon Park. Benjamin is a senior majoring in linguistics. He loves watching Mean Girls, being active and cheering on the Florida Gators. He’s sure to whisk you off your feet with his slick cheer moves and killer smile.
Benjamin is currently 21 years old. On campus, he works at UF RecSports and is the recruitment chair for the Florida Cicerones. He was also a member of Preview Staff in 2014.
Benjamin is a huge fan of the holiday season. “It makes everyone happier in my opinion. The other day I was tabling and we were playing Christmas music, and everyone was freaking out. No one ever freaks out if we play Beyoncé or Drake,” he said. Despite loving the holiday season, Benjamin isn’t a big fan of holiday movies. He says his favorite holiday movie would be the Christmas performance scene in Mean Girls. Benjamin also has a few celebrity crushes he might want to kiss under the mistletoe. “Who would be the best kisser? Probably Angelina Jolie or Kylie Jenner,” he joked.
Benjamin’s favorite memories at UF took place during his time on Preview Staff. “One of my students came up to me and said that I had given her a tour before. She said I influenced her decision to come to UF, which I thought was cool that she was really listening and that I made an impact on a student,” said Benjamin. His favorite place to hang out on campus is the top row of The Swamp. In Gainesville, you might catch Benjamin grabbing brunch at Civilization. “They’re really famous for their brunch,” he said.
Good news, ladies — Benjamin is single and ready to mingle. In a significant other, he looks for someone who takes care of their body, is working toward their goals and can take a joke. “You have to have a good sense of humor because I’m really sarcastic,” he laughed. On a first date, Benjamin would love to take someone on an adventure like going rock climbing together. “I don’t just like going somewhere to eat to make conversation. I hate social eating,” he said.
The coolest thing that ever happened to Benjamin was when he cheered at the Final Four Championship in 2014. “It was really cool. It was during my birthday. It was in Dallas. They have the world’s largest jumbotron, and I was on it,” he said. Like most of us, Benjamin does have a few fears. “I have a list. I’m scared of waking up blind. I’m scared of being in the middle of a large body of water. I’m scared of walking under a tree and a having a squirrel fall on my head,” he listed. He also says his guilty pleasure is Mean Girls.
Benjamin plans on working as a speech language pathologist in the future. “I want to work with kids because you can really set a foundation for them in their life,” he said. Over winter break, Benjamin will be taking the GRE and finishing up graduate school applications. As far as being this week’s Campus Cutie, Benjamin is incredibly flattered. “I’m actually honored,” he said. “I’m really awkward though, so I was worried.”
Until he graduates in May, you can find this Campus Cutie giving tours on campus, making Mean Girls references and cheering on the Florida Gators.
Photo courtesy of Benjamin Auyang