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Growing up, I enjoyed learning in a traditional classroom setting, but I was always at my happiest when going to educational summer camps at the Discovery Center Museum or the Burpee Museum of Natural History in my hometown of Rockford, Illinois. The Burpee is still one of my favorite places to visit; there's always something new to discover there.

I liked to collect shells, rocks, and fossils when I was younger. After I collected them, I used to put them on top of the dresser in my bedroom, which I called “Ben’s Museum.” When I recently visited my home for the holidays and saw the fossils and shells on my dresser, I realized I’d been enjoying museums since I was just 3 or 4 years old, so I thought it’d be fun to mention this. Part of the “collection” is with me in Milwaukee, but I've attached a picture of some of the fossils and stones that are still in the museum.

Now, I've presented internationally about accessibility in public arts spaces and served on several boards working towards furthering community arts engagement. I hope to continue working to make information more accessible and exciting to everyone, regardless of age, race, gender, or ability.