Ben Perez
Secondary Education major
Hometown: New Britain, CT
Was inspired by a high school teacher to become a positive role model
Becoming an inspiration to students
Ben Perez had never heard of Champlain until he came to campus to visit a friend, and it was love at first sight. "It was the first place I applied. I loved the campus, and I loved the one-on-one interaction with the professors." In fact, this close relationship between student and teacher was the main reason he decided to become an educator: his sophomore year high school teacher gave him inspiration to become a positive role model as a teacher.
In his first year of studies at Champlain, he worked at Edmonds Elementary school in Burlington, helping eighth grade refugee students read, write, and speak English well enough to prepare for high school. "It was really rewarding meeting someone from the opposite side of the world. It was eye-opening for everyone involved." Though he started off with elementary education, he soon decided he wanted to work with high-school students, where he hopes to match the sense of inspiration that once motivated him.
These ’07 Champlain grads rode cross-country on bicycle and moped to raise money in the fight against cancer