Hello! My name is Mr. Ben, and I am from Minneapolis, Minnesota. I graduated this spring from St. Olaf College, where I triple majored in Math, Physics (the science of exploring the natural world) and Political Science (the science of exploring the social world).
At St. Olaf, I had all sorts of research opportunities. One semester, I worked in a lab to learn about how corals build their skeletons! Another semester, I did research on the Dayton Accords: negotiations (important talks) that helped end a war in Europe in the 1990s. I didn't always like researching, but after practicing a lot in college, I really enjoy it!
I also really enjoy music! In college, I played percussion (drums, mallet instruments like the marimba and glockenspiel [glok-uhn-speel], triangles and more!) in the St. Olaf Band and St. Olaf Orchestra. Because of a generous donation, both ensembles get to go on tours for free! I went on ten total tours where we traveled for one to two weeks and played concerts for new audiences every night. I even got to tour in Japan and Norway! Not bad for a free trip.
After my second year of college, in 2023, I had the chance to study abroad in Oslo, Norway. Going there changed my life and the way I see the world.
