Q: What is your name, year and major?

A: Benjamin Mitchell, junior human biology major.

Q: How would you describe yourself in three words?

A: Interested in learning, Contemplative, Wordy

Q: What are you passionate about? What do you love doing?

A: “I am passionate about learning, honestly, especially in the biological field. I like learning about life. There’s a lot of psychology in the biological realm too, so I like learning about how people think. But, I don’t just study all the time. I like rock climbing. I’m very passionate about rock climbing.”

Q: When and how did you start becoming passionate about it?

A: “I’ve always liked words. I’ve liked learning about words. I’ve liked learning about how things work, and I started becoming passionate about [learning] involuntarily… I was transmitted the passion for rocking climbing, because about three years ago, I met this friend of mine, and we were both co-leading Young Life together. I would just do school and Young Life and school, but what he loves to do is rock climbing. He invited me to go rock climbing… He was so passionate about it. He was like, ‘You’ve got to get this. Learn how to do it well, and push your body.’ I found myself loving it, so I’ve climbed since then.”

Q: How does your passion make you a better person?  

A: “The thing about rock climbing is that it’s challenging yourself to climb from the ground to the top of the wall, sometimes it seems defeating… It can be really frustrating, but working through, keeping on climbing, trying to reach to the top of the wall, that speak a lot to endurance. The same could be said for studying. If you’re trying to get a point to either take a test or something, you have to work hard and not give up. Not just be like, ‘Oh, there are too many terms or definitions, too much information in my textbook. I can’t do this.’ It’s a long haul thing, and you can never say you’ve mastered it. You just have to keep going back and remaining a student.”

Q: What would you like people to know you for in 10 years?

A: “In 10 years, I would want people to know me for using what I learned for God and for others.”