During his four years at the College of William & Mary, Ben has consistently sought opportunities to serve in his community, both on-campus and off. Most notably, he has worked with Greater City, a non-denominational ministry that works to meet both the physical and relational needs of the homeless population of Williamsburg, Va., faithfully visiting these new Friends every week since November 2015. In addition, he took on responsibilities as Greater City’s Director of Ecclesiastical Engagement from fall 2016 through December 2017, coordinating efforts between different churches to care for this vulnerable population, and has volunteered overnight several times at the temporary shelters housed in church buildings through the Community of Faith Mission’s wintertime shelter program.
In addition to his work with those living in poverty in the local community, Ben has also partnered with anti-human trafficking organizations to raise awareness and funds during his time at school, participating in campaigns like Dressember and Stand For Freedom, led 3 year-long small group Bible studies in the campus ministry he belongs to, and participated in the Kairos Leadership Initiative, a year-long program sponsored by the Baptist General Association of Virginia, which focuses on cultivating qualities of servant-leadership and prepares students to address social issues and meet the needs of vulnerable populations in their communities. When he is not busy serving his community in an official capacity or tackling an impressive homework load, he can generally be found giving impromptu ballroom dance lessons, cooking for an absurdly large number of people, or befriending the total stranger he just encountered on the sidewalk.
While his diligent commitment to service and genuine affection for each person he encounters do not in themselves make him a “gentleman”, his earnestness, humility, generosity, personal integrity, compassion for others, and steadfastness of character qualify him as the ideal man outlined in Micah 6:8: “He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?” (NKJV).
(And, like any true gentleman, he can totally rock a bow tie.)
