While most of his classmates usually see him spending time in the basement, working in the tech booth of the the theater, or sporting his casual hipster style, Levi Caffes’s creativity extends far beyond that which happens within the walls of BSM.
Levi’s quiet demeanor during the school day keeps many of his secrets under wraps. He loves romance movies; he really wants dreadlocks; he watches bike polo; he once biked 32 miles per hour on flat ground; he loves going to the $2 theater, and he wants to design vacuums for Dyson. “I’m a lot quieter at school. I feel like I’m a lot funnier when I’m at home, a lot more talkative and open. I’m starting to find out more this year that it’s okay to open yourself up,” said Caffes.
Much of LEvi’s creativity comes from the teachers he has come to be very close with during his time at BSM. He credits much of his knowledge of construction tools to Mr. Scott Effertz and his inspiration in t-shirt design o Ms. Kristi Main. “They’ve given me so many opportunities, and there’s no way I could ever repay them. I’m just so extremely grateful. With the public schools that are around my neighborhood, I never would’ve gotten the same education or experience. I don’t think I would be the same person I am today, and I would never change anything about myself,” said Caffes.
One of Levi’s all-time favorite activities has always been riding his bike. “I ride bikes because it gives me a mode of transportation. Also, I find it so much fun that I can go anywhere on my bike really. And you can go do it with anyone. I can take my whole bike apart, fix it, clean it, and put it back together again,” said Caffes.
Taking the time out to enjoy all of the work he has done on perfecting his bike, Levi enjoys riding his bike to and from school when the weather is nice or just taking leisurely rides around Minneapolis. “I like to ride my bike and explore my neighborhood––explore what’s new. I go looking for new graffiti a lot. Like new taggers, people who are stating to step more into my neighborhood,” said Caffes.
Levi can state, without a doubt, that the person who has impacted his life the most is his mother, a woman who has worked full-time in order to allow him to go to a private school while simultaneously working on her Master’s. “She’s so inspirational. I aspire to be the male equivalent of her. Partly because she is a warrior. She constantly fights for what she thinks is right and what she thinks is best. She has sacrificed so many things for me to have a good education and to go to a private school. She constantly puts me first. And that’s expected in a mother, but she kept exceeding that––she kept going beyond the norm,” said Caffes.
Hoping to follow in his mother’s footsteps, Levi’s life goal is to be the best father and husband. “I love kids, I love working with kids, and I just want to be a really good father and raise fantastic kids,” said Caffes.
Excited to explore a different side of the country and be closer to his dad, Levi will be attending the University of Colorado at Boulder in the fall. The school’s beautiful campus hosts the perfect opportunities for Levi to do all of the outdoor activities he loves like camping, biking, and climbing. “Part of the reason I’m going there is because that’s where my parents met. Also, they have a really good engineering program that I’m going into. Plus, I wanted to get out of the state. I feel like this is your one good opportunity to venture from the nest,” said Caffes.
