Fight and fly

I’ve spent years embracing one simple philosophy: Try, fail, learn and try again. 

My ability to embrace failure has been shaped by my experiences as an athlete, student and now as a civil servant. It’s okay to fall down as long as you have the courage to get back up — my time at UD taught me that.

Growing up in Rochester, New York, I developed an early interest in advocacy and human rights. When my twin brother, Jordan Benjamin ’19, committed to playing tennis at the University of Dayton, I figured I’d look into it, too. I discovered UD created the first undergraduate human rights studies program in 1998. Immediately, I was intrigued. 

I was accepted into the program and walked onto the women’s tennis team, ready to experience college with my brother by my side. As a student in an interdisciplinary major, I had the opportunity to study anthropology, sociology, philosophy, political science and even pre-law. I found it fascinating
to examine human rights issues from so many perspectives. 

One of my most intriguing courses covered hunger and homelessness. 

My classmates and I put on a hunger simulation in which we learned how socioeconomic status and unforeseen life events can impact one’s access to food and housing resources. People often perceive others’ circumstances as a consequence of one’s actions or simply bad luck. But the simulation showed us how even small factors can contribute to hunger and homelessness. 

Realizing that my time in school and tennis would eventually end, I paid more attention to the opportunities my program offered and started planning life after college. The hunger and homelessness class drove me to apply for an internship recommended by my adviser, Dr. Natalie Hudson,professor and then-executive director of the Human Rights Center. I was accepted into the Zero Hunger Internship with the Congressional Hunger Center in Washington, D.C., where I continued my experiential learning journey. 

I didn’t know it at the time, but I would soon learn even if I failed, Washington, D.C., was the right place for me to fulfill my purpose of serving others.

The internship and being in the nation’s capital set me on the path to where I am today, working as the special assistant for public engagement in the Office of Secretary Pete Buttigieg at the U.S. Department of Transportation. Working in a government office, I’ve observed how the intense nature of politics can foster a fear of failure. While this fear can be motivating for some, I believe it often prevents others from discovering valuable lessons that come from embracing and learning from our mistakes.

I’ve experienced setbacks in the form of athletic injury, challenging coursework and advocacy efforts that didn’t pan out. Through it all, I’ve tried, failed, learned and tried again — I guess you can say Dayton taught me to fight and fly.