The loss of a classmate is never an easy thing to handle, but the loss of Ben Cobb, a junior who was studying parks and recreation, was especially hard for the Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management community. Ben was no ordinary classmate, and a month later, his classmates and professors, myself included, are still grieving. 

The last snow day, Feb. 15, Ben went to take his dog, Sadie, out for a walk and slipped on ice, causing him to fall three stories off of his balcony to the ground. Ben went into a coma and died a week later at the age of 29 on Feb. 21. The news of Ben’s passing shook his classmates, and professors. 

Ben, a native of Tarboro, North Carolina began college at Southwestern Community College in Sylva, North Carolina in 2011 and graduated with an associate’s degree in 2013. Instead of continuing school, Ben left school for a few years to pursue a different dream. 

Ben moved to Durango, Colorado in 2014 and became the senior field guide at Open Sky Wilderness, a wilderness therapy organization. Ben worked with at-risk teens, young adults and families, taking them into the wilderness to learn more about themselves and rediscover who they are. When Ben spoke about his experiences there, it was obvious to me that he really loved what he did and took his job very seriously. 

After working at Open Sky Wilderness, Ben came to NC State to earn a degree in parks and recreation. He had just begun taking classes again in January.

Once when talking to Ben before our Outdoor Recreation Management class, I asked Ben why he decided to go to Colorado. He told me it was just where he felt called to go and was so glad that he did. It really struck a chord with me how he felt a whim to do something he felt passionate about and went in full-heartedly. It made me want to do the same thing. Ben had a way of being able to make you look at life from a different perspective every time you spoke with him.

Emily Reichard, a sophomore studying sports management and classmate of Ben, said she found a similar inspiration in Ben. 

“From learning that Ben was just now following his dreams in his undergrad career, I learned from him that it is okay to be patient and take time to find out what you’re passionate about,” Reichard said.

In the short time Ben was in the Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management, he touched many lives, according to Annette Moore, associate professor of parks, recreation and tourism management, who had Ben in three of her classes.

“I didn’t know Ben right out of high school,” Moore said. “But the Ben that joined our Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management family in January 2016 was a man with deep care for people, with a drive to learn and grow as a professional and with a passion to unleash the power of recreation to bring healing, hope and joy to the people he would serve.”

Ben not only had an impact on his professors like Moore, but he also touched many of his classmates, according to Reichard.

“I didn’t get a very long time to know Ben, but I found him to be a deeply caring and passionate person,” Reichard said. “[His passing] has urged me to take as many opportunities as Ben would, with full passion.”

In both classes I shared with Ben, he was always the center of conversation. Evidently, he was passionate about recreation. From my perspective, Ben didn’t take class lightly, he used it to learn all he possibly could to ensure he could apply everything to his future career in parks and recreation. As students, sometimes we forget that our job is to learn, and the more interest and effort you put into learning, the more you will enjoy it and retain what you learn. 

Ben had such an impact in class with his hunger to learn that he caught the attention of several guest speakers in Moore’s Intro to Parks and Recreation class. 

“He would often stay after lectures and speak with professors and guest speakers, trying to learn as much as he could and exchange ideas,” Moore said. 

His impact on two guest speakers was so great that they even visited Ben’s family while he was in the hospital. Professors, including Moore, also visited Ben’s family.

According to Moore, Ben had a love for God, the outdoors and people, and he affected everyone he came in contact with.

“Ben genuinely cared about people and he showed it,” Moore said. “Ben was fun to be around, enjoyable to work with because of his life-giving energy. He drew people into his circle and lifted their spirits and their desire to be the best they could be. Ben loved Jesus and knew he was loved in return, and his actions reflected that love.” 

Ben’s step father, George Anderson, described it best to Moore when he said, “Ben leaves a trail of love wherever he goes.”    

It is amazing to think that one student, who was here for less than two months, had such a great impact on the people he came in contact with. It goes to show that, even in a school with 35,000 students, you are not simply a number. Your presence in class and your interactions with people are impactful. What you do with the opportunities you have in college, and in life, can influence other people, even if it is a brief interaction. 

I suggest that you go forward as Ben did and invest your time in people. Chase the dream that you feel called to. Be patient with finding out who you are and where you are supposed to be. And know that you will be remembered for doing such, just like Ben. 

According to Moore, one classmate suggested the best way to keep his legacy going is simply to “be like Ben,” and I couldn’t agree more. 

If anyone would like to talk about this loss, or any other loss, contact the NC State Counseling Center at 919-515-2423.