![user profile avatar](https://static.bold.org/profilePictures/benjaminseniorheadshot03976a63766e467eaf1b91f9ce004326.webp)
Hobbies and interests
4-H
Golf
Volunteering
Community Service And Volunteering
Basketball
Beach
Baseball
Bible Study
Biochemistry
Biology
Business And Entrepreneurship
Calisthenics
Chemistry
Benjamin Brown
595
Bold Points1x
Finalist1x
Winner![user profile avatar](https://static.bold.org/profilePictures/benjaminseniorheadshot03976a63766e467eaf1b91f9ce004326.webp)
Benjamin Brown
595
Bold Points1x
Finalist1x
WinnerBio
I am a current freshman at Clemson University. For recreation, I enjoy listening to music, playing/watching sports, traveling, sharpening my culinary skills, and promoting my children's book, The Day Dennis Lost His Whoo! I am also the founder of B. Michael Recycle. My goal is to become an anesthesiologist. I'm very passionate about helping others and doing volunteer work.
Education
Dreher High School
High SchoolMiscellaneous
Desired degree level:
Doctoral degree program (PhD, MD, JD, etc.)
Majors of interest:
- Biology, General
- Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology
Career
Dream career field:
Medicine
Dream career goals:
Anesthesiologist
Grocery Clerk
Publix2024 – Present8 monthsServer
Capital City Club Columbia2023 – 20241 yearFront of House Team Member
Chick-fil-A2022 – 20231 year
Sports
Golf
Varsity2017 – Present7 years
Public services
Volunteering
Youth Volunteer Corps — I served on South Carolina's Youth Advisory Board and the International YAB.2020 – Present
Larry A. Montgomery Memorial Scholarship
WinnerAre leaders born, or are they made?
I believe we all lead in one way or another.
From being born a full trimester premature, to surviving over a dozen surgeries, to pivoting during the pandemic to recently mourning the loss of my only uncle so close to his 43rd birthday, I have learned that I can bounce back and learn from difficult circumstances.
That’s what being a leader is all about, committing to the process when everyone else gives up.
When I was born, I could fit into the palm of my mother's hand. At 2lbs, 7oz, most doctors didn't think I would survive long or have a detrimental disability or disease. After surviving a dozen surgeries before the age of four, I'm now a senior Honors Dual-Enrollment student at Dreher High School in Columbia, SC. I grew up in Orangeburg, SC for the majority of my life, a place where students aren't encouraged to become the best version of themselves. I know this to be true based on the students I attended school with while I was in Orangeburg and the high-school dropout gang we lived next to for 6 years. I try to wake up every day and be optimistic about the opportunities that could come. My mom tells me I was born a leader. Whether it’s helping and organizing fundraisers for babies in the NICU where I was born or directing Cadets in NJROTC, I’m being a champion for change by tapping into my gifts. I believe that supporting equality means knowing we all have something different to offer and that makes a stronger world. I, along with millions of people, stand against discrimination and I support equality for others in my life by standing up for the oppressed, whether it be on the street or in school. These simple beliefs have helped shape me into the person I am today, and who I strive to continue to be throughout college and the remainder of my life.
To me, inspiration means taking the ideals and values of either an organization or person and incorporating them into your life and character. Recently, I’ve been inspired by Black innovators who have made a significant impact in STEM, such as Katherine Johnson and George Washington Carver. Books like Hidden Figures and Black Pioneers of Science and Invention gave me inspiration to pursue my goal of becoming a licensed anesthesiologist. The COVID-19 pandemic also highlighted striking inequity in preventable deaths from persistent disparities in access to affordable health care in Black communities. More students of color need support and guidance to not only apply and complete medical school training but also allow for a more diverse physician pool when people are in need or want to receive healthcare from someone who looks like them. I'd use my platform as an anesthesiologist to serve as a beacon of light to other young, black males who aspire to have a healthcare career. This is important because blacks are underrepresented in many high-level careers, especially in the healthcare field where Blacks make up less than 5% of those in the medical profession. Not only do I want to help change those statistics, but I’ve also seen how those in the medical profession were stretched, stressed, and pushed beyond their limits during the pandemic. With strong efforts, the younger generation can find inspiration from myself and other black doctors through our community acts and profile to pursue their dreams, and not to let racial barriers and stereotypes prevent them from doing so.