The Newport News native arrived on Grounds in 1998 and served as a student manager for George Welsh and Al Groh all four years in Charlottesville, eventually earning a scholarship.

But it has been Ben's contributions in the classroom and in the lives of his students that have made a true lasting impact.

After earning his bachelors and masters degrees from the university, Ben began a career in education, serving students in the Charlottesville, Albemarle, Newark, New Jersey, and Washington, DC schools systems. In 2014 Ben was one of four recipients of the Rubenstein leadership award for outstanding performance as an associate principal in DC public schools.

Upon earning his doctorate from the university in 2015, Ben was named the founding principal of DC’s all-male Ron Brown College Preparatory High School, a journey that was documented in the NPR series “Raising Kings”.

In that role Ben has drawn on his own experiences with trauma, foster care, and adoption to serve as a mentor and role model to countless young men.