Ben Fink
Ohio Northern University
Ben Fink, a junior Political Science major at Ohio Northern University, works with children with special needs in an effort to make their lives better, as well as to create a sense of independence, comfort and security in their lives.
What began as an opportunity to assist in his hometown at a summer camp, turned into a passion in which Ben has worked diligently on Ohio Northern's campus to create fundraisers to aid in continued education regarding children and adults with special needs. Ben has lead the way for this important cause at Ohio Northern University and plans to continue to advocate for children with special needs in his future career in political science upon graduation.
While Ben believes, we as a society have made great strides in understanding this area, there is much work to be done. The mission of the camp at which he works has been adopted by Ben and he hopes to one day create 'a world where there are only abilities.'
Personal Statement
In the summer of 2017 I had the wonderful experience of working at Akron Rotary Camp for children with special needs. It was a completely life-altering experience and will shape the rest of my professional career. This experience did however expose a glaring issue with our modern society. We have made strides since the beginning of the millennium, but we are still not fully accommodating of the special needs community. Unfortunately, many people do not understand all the aspects that go into a life of a person with special needs. My ultimate goal is to raise awareness for the special needs community and their families throughout my college and professional career. In the past year, I have mobilized my entire fraternity and other Greek organizations towards special-needs advocacy by getting members to participate in an annual fundraiser; as a group we raised over $1000 for the camp. In the non-summer months I work at camp during weekend respite programs every other weekend. After college, I intend to take my advocacy into my professional career in politics and push for a world where there are only abilities.
