Ben Gates sits on the back of the classroom. He dresses casually, has messy hair, and carries his shades on. His teenage look is fueled by his frisky character. He appeared to be a fun guy in class. He engages in class with the teacher, and jokes often with friends. Ben looks like an active guy who keeps his body in good shape. After the class ends, I ask Ben for an interview time. He complies, “Cool, we’ll interview each other during next class." He leaves a nice-guy impression on me while we exchange contact information.

I catch Ben in his dorm on a Sunday afternoon as he could not attend the next class due to fever and cold. We sit on a couch in the dorm’s lobby and he says, “I am feeling better today and ready to go to work in an hour". To my surprise, Ben pays his college tuition and expenses by working part time in a local store. He has been managing his social, academic and financial life by himself for the past two years. Despite of his teenage look, Ben turns out to be a 24-year-old man who knows what he is going to do in life. He says, “I took gap years after my high school, worked for some time, and now I am in college for an aviation degree." Ben loves planes and drones and this passion motivates him to come to college to study aviation. He says, “I was clueless about my life after high school, but as soon as I started aviation in college, I absolutely loved it." He believes aviation is a pathway for him to fulfill his dreams of living a hippie life by flying planes and drones over the mountains of Colorado after the college. The serenity of mountains provides peace and happiness for Ben, and he believes Colorado is the best destination for it.

Time after high school was a turning point in Ben’s life. He adds," I had made a bunch of friends with whom I partied almost every night." As time passes, Ben starts to realize his responsibilities, finds a job, and becomes more mature day by day. Ben describes the transition period of his life as the most difficult one for him. For the first time in his life, he had to take important decisions like choosing a field of study and managing source of income. And, managing all the stress that comes with it. The single most important thing he learns in this period in not quitting in the first attempt. Despite of the difficult situation, Ben continues to walk on the journey of his life in the pursuit of his dream.

Life, for Ben, is too short to be involved in unnecessary activities. Believing in oneself and focusing on the positives keeps Ben busy most of his time. If Ben is not in his class, lab or work, he will be in his dorm room watching movies. Ben has a huge collection of movies in his room. Movies keep my mind occupied and make me happy. He jokes, “I visualize myself as the Captain Jack Sparrow when I watch the Pirates of Caribbean." Such characters in movies inspire Ben to be a leader in his own life too. He tries to keeps himself around honest and trustworthy person in school and at work. He believes these are the greatest qualities someone can possess.

Born in New York and raised in Louisiana among his 13 siblings, Ben is very grateful for his grandparents who had great influence on his childhood. His grandparents took care of him at a very young age when his parents divorced. His grandparents raised him, put him in a school, and taught life lessons. He remembers, “I learned at early age from my divorced parents that dispute is inevitable in life and not having calmness only worsens it." Since then, Ben tries to avoid anything that causes misunderstanding and dispute with other people. He explains," If you communicate with other person with calmness and honesty, there is a very little chance of dispute." Ben draws his patience and character from his past life experiences with his divorced father and mother.

Due the work- study lifestyle, Ben finds very little free time for other works. At times, Ben studies for three consecutive nights to finish a project and prepare for an exam while working during the day. Sometimes, he has to miss a homework to go to the job, or skip a class to get enough sleep. It may seem like a difficult life to manage, but not for Ben. He believes as long as he is focused and working towards his dream, little obstacles in life do not matter.