OAKLEAF – Ethan Renault constantly resists his natural temperament to be shy, anxious and reclusive.

Whenever he feels retreating into an emotional hole, he forces himself to step out of his comfort zone. His life has become a series of challenges made, accepted and defeated.

“My freshman year, I didn't really do a lot,” Ethan said. “I went to school and went home. That was about it. I didn't really get involved with a lot of clubs and stuff. That was because I was kind of shy and scared and, you know, scared of judgment.”

Over time, he decided to push himself into new, often uncomfortable, situations. That meant entering talent shows, tutoring other students, signing in front of crowds and applying for summer college programs.

And becoming Oakleaf High’s Prom King.

“I decided to get myself out there and get myself in front of people,” Ethan said. “I wanted to push past being scared.”

Ethan's first leap of faith was accepting a four-week summer program at MIT in Cambridge, Massachusetts, called Unmanned Aerial Systems Synthetic Aperture Radar. In this program, drones systematically map an area by creating a more detailed topography.

“That really took me out of my comfort zone because I was alone, 1,000 miles from home,” Ethan said. “It forced me to deal with my anxieties.”

In the process, he gained confidence, the reliance of others and decided he wanted to steer his future toward engineering.

“We assembled the drone, and then we had to make some kind of program,” he said. “We had a team of five. It was a lot of fun. It was my next step in getting out of my shell, pushing my boundaries. I think that kind of showed me what happens when you do that. I talked to a lot of people there. I opened up. I got involved in more clubs and other stuff in my junior year.”

He also entered talent shows and was accepted to another engineering conference at the University of Florida before his senior year. He plans to be a Gator, studying mechanical engineering after receiving his high school diploma on Friday, May 23.

“These last two years cut me out of my shell,” Ethan said. “I’m ready for jobs, ready for school — ready for anything. I’m not the guy who’s going to sit back and be quiet anymore.”

Well said.