After a hiatus of more than a year, the S Word is back with first-time host Beatrix Lozach interviewing senior mascot Ben Polega about school spirit, the power of storytelling, and his experience with congenital cerebral palsy.

Polega shared his journey from AV Club to hyping up the crowd at football games, and shared how he overcomes adversity in his daily life. Polega became the mascot during his junior year after his AV Club teacher, Mr. Rogers, retired. While Polega has dealt with a number of health challenges during his two years as the mascot, he’s continued to advocate for optimism and the greater integration of disabled students into the McCallum community. Polega plans to attend Austin Community College, and though his time as the mascot will end soon, he hopes to coach future McCallum mascots.

Transcript:

Beatrix: This is the S Word, my name is Beatrix Lozach, and we’re here today with our guest Ben Polega. Ben is a senior at McCallum and he’s our school mascot. Introduce yourself, Ben.

Ben: Hello y’all, I am Ben Polega. I am a 12th grader at McCallum, which equals graduation in two months. 

Beatrix: So, you’ve been at McCallum almost four years, Ben, and you didn’t initially start out as the mascot. Initially, you started out in AV Club. Describe that experience for us.

Ben: It was a bunch of nerds looking at computers. The teacher called all of us in during my second year and said he was leaving at the end of the year. That teacher was Mr. Rogers. I then was thrown into this idea of “what should I do?” 

Beatrix: Right, and so you heard about being the mascot. This was your sophomore year, right?

Ben: Yeah.

Beatrix: So, how did this come about? Did you audition to be the mascot?

Ben: I was scrolling on Instagram, and I saw a photo of my friend with one of my other friends with a pyramid in the background.

Beatrix: So, was this one of your friends who did cheer?

Ben: No, this wasn’t one of my friends who did cheer. What happened was, my freshman year, they had a mascot, but he was a senior, and then my sophomore year, they couldn’t find anybody. 

Beatrix: So you stepped up to the plate and decided to be the mascot?

Ben: Yes, exactly.

Beatrix: Ben, you’re quadriplegic, right?

Ben: Yes.

Beatrix: Describe what that experience has been like and how it has influenced your role as a mascot and an ambassador of our community.

Ben: Well, I was born on Jan. 27, 2007, and I was also born a month early. It was a normal pregnancy. Everything was great. Then at about six months, my parents, Jeff and Victoria Polega, noticed I wasn’t hitting developmental milestones. We went to a neurologist, and the rest is history!

Beatrix: Ben, your specific condition is called—

Ben: Cerebral palsy. We’re actually recording this on Cerebral Palsy Month.

Beatrix: How do you feel being a representative of this community, that other disabled kids look up to you? Do you feel a sense of responsibility, as a role model?

Ben: I do feel a sense of responsibility as a role model for the younger generation.

Beatrix: Do you want people to see that people with your experiences can still step up to the plate, as I mentioned earlier, and really be a force of positivity?

Ben: Yes. Even though I am on 20 different medications, I still do stuff and I am an active member of this community. I remember my dad telling me the story of somebody walking up to him and asking him “Can he talk?” And he was pissed.

Beatrix: So what did your dad respond?

Ben: He said, “Ask him.” And the person walked away.

Beatrix: So, you’ve dealt with this kind of adversity where people underestimate you, chronically, right?

Ben: Yeah. There’s only four kids here at McCallum with CP. Also, CP can cause epilepsy and a whole bunch of other secondary conditions.

Beatrix: Right, so not only does it present these intrinsic challenges associated with cerebral palsy, it also has these external challenges, where people don’t necessarily know you, they make assumptions about you.

Ben: Yeah. 

Beatrix: Wow. As someone who’s the mascot, who’s the living embodiment of what it means to be a Knight, how do you feel like you embody Knight pride?

Ben: It’s all so bittersweet, this being my last year.

Beatrix: So, for two years, you’ve showed up to all the football games and come out in support of them?

Ben: Yes, I even go to different McCallum sporting events. 

Beatrix: So it’s not just football?

Ben: It’s football, track, volleyball. I haven’t done basketball because of some health issues. I would like to say, if you would like to do it, doesn’t matter what race, religion, creed, ethnicity, you should do it. I’m also on the Student Equity Council headed by Mr. Zuniga. I’ve had lots of surgeries.

Beatrix: So even though you haven’t been able to be physically present in some ways, your role as the mascot, your role on the Student Equity Council, your role in AV Club have all illustrated ways in which you desire to contribute to the community.

Ben: Yeah. At heart, I’m a storyteller.

Beatrix: Well, thank you, Ben, for allowing us to tell your story.

Ben: I just have one more thing: Go Knights, beat those Trojans!

Beatrix: And we’re out. This has been the S Word. I’ve been here with Ben Polega. My name is Beatrix Lozach, and go Knights!