BEN STACHKUNAS

When Ben first came to MxCC, he did not know what to expect. He had limited positive experiences with the education system. He was very apprehensive and nervous. Ben’s son had enrolled in UHart and thought about how much he was going to miss him. Ben thought about how he could spend his time and improve his life in the process, all while doing something he enjoyed. MxCC seemed like a wise and affordable choice. He had enjoyed editing a few videos in the past and thought this was a good place to begin.

Ben was looking at four different community colleges across the state. It was the Center for New Media’s production studio and state-of-the-art equipment available to the students that impressed him. Ben started in the summer of 2018. Peter Galgano gave him a tour after he visited the enrollment services and had a good feeling right from the start.

 

Before attending MxCC, Ben had no idea he would ever film or direct anything. Professor Smith was the first person to really push Ben and encourage his work behind a camera. He loved every minute of it and thanked him for seeing the potential in another “Lefty!” Because of his hard work in “Smitty’s” classes, Ben drove himself in other professors’ classes to hone his craft. It opened up doors for Ben and now he is directing projects for the college as well.

 

What a lot of people do not know about Ben is that he has had chronic kidney stones for 20 years and it has not been very pleasant. He has had two surgeries while attending MxCC (pushing his total surgery count to 20 in total). Unfortunately, Ben has had trouble finding full-time employment and even lost jobs because of it. It is a horrible experience but everybody at MxCC has been understanding and helpful while he has gone through ‘The Process’. “It helps when you’re not stressed about college while you’re recovering.” Ben states.

 

Ben is looking forward to taking Electronic Music Production next semester. He never thought he would have the ability to create music. Ben has actually learned a lot over his three semesters and music production has been so much fun for him.

Presently Ben works for a local restaurant in Middletown as well as a student worker for our MxCC library. When not in school, he likes to watch movies, play video games, go for walks & hikes, WWE, and loves DC comics (Ben and his son are fanatics).

 

Ben has worked very hard to maintain a high GPA throughout his three semesters at MxCC and does not see any reason to stop now. He takes pride in the work he does in the college library and spends a lot of time helping students. When asked if he is a member of any MxCC clubs, he states, “Shhhhhhh! 1st rule is I can’t talk about it…”. Ben has made so many friends and gained so much while attending MxCC. He is so glad he decided to attend school. Ben states, “I think anybody who’s capable should participate. I’ve learned more about myself than anything else while coming to MxCC.”

 

Check out Ben’s links here:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwOPg1oO31JzcITkORF8vtA

Portfolio site: https://benjaminstachkunas.wixsite.com/mysite/portfolio