Marisa Hendrickson

Hey,

    my name is Daniel Cespedes and I'm very grateful to be a part of Mr. Spartan 2010! Along with my awesome partner Marisa Hendrickson, I am hosting the Disco Highlighter Dance on April 9th, a fun-filled night you won't want to miss.

So, what's my history like?

If you ever see someone in Corvallis sporting a kilt about town, chances are it's me.

    I only moved to Corvallis six years ago, from a small town in Texas.

    Despite my upcoming in the South, I'm entrenched with interest in my mother's Scottish heritage, which compelled me to learn the Highland Bagpipes when I was young.

I also learned to play the guitar, saxophone, drums, and sing... now I write music!

    My father is full-blooded Pacific Islander—namely from Guam (Hence the surname “CESPEDES”).

    I've performed with and formed countless bands and choral groups including various Jazz Ensembles, International Bands, Drumlines, and a Barbershop Quartet.

    For many years I've played varsity lacrosse and run cross country.

    I'm training for a year in Krav Maga, a practice of self-defense and street fighting developed by the Israeli Police Force.

    My hobbies include skiing, freerunning (parkour), golfing, fishing, dancing, and cooking.

What's my future look like?

    I intend to pursue a career in music composition for film. I spent my entire childhood listening to soundtracks like Braveheart and Lord of the Rings, and I recently finished my first full score for a student film titled 'Flipside' (2009).

    I also plan to make a pilgrimage to Scotland sometime in the near future, explore the land and learn the age-old language of Scottish Gaelic.

    In addition to writing music, I plan to initiate side careers in cartooning and live music performance.

I look forward to seeing you at one of the Mr. Spartan events! Cheers.

Daniel Cespedes

    I can't believe it's finally my senior year! I was so excited to be chosen as a member of the Mr. Spartan crew this year. I remember when I was really young and my sister was asked to be in one of her friend’s Mr. Spartan video. That was the first time I had heard of the pageant. Since then, I've been to many pageants and seen what an amazing experience it is. This year I am paired with the incredibly talented Daniel Cespedes and together, with the help of Kipp and Jacey, we are hosting the Highlighter dance! The dance should be a blast and I can't wait to get started.

    Other than Mr. Spartan, this year has been all about getting involved for me. I joined the leadership class, became Vice President of Z Club, and have made a real effort to do more around the school. Outside of school, l I organized a city league basketball team for my friends and I and got a job at Ark Animal Hospital. I love my job because I get to work with animals. Also, because it isn't very demanding I can feel like a responsible adult and still have plenty of time to be a kid. I'm also planning on playing softball for my school again this year.As for future plans, I have been accepted to the University of Oregon where I will study psychology next year.   

 

    All around this has, and is going to be, an amazing last year of high school for me and I couldn't imagine it being any other way! Hope to see you at the pageant!