Ben Kubacki grew up appreciating the simplicity of small communities in Brazil and Angola as a missionary kid. Now, as a student at Wheaton, he is drawn to the complexities of environmental science and urban studies. Ben hopes to apply his passion for global wholeness in an urban community development setting.

“In some ways, cities are environmentally progressive, but at the same time the mass of people takes a toll,” Ben explains.

In the face of such challenges, Ben chooses to lean into the tension, and he encourages others to do the same. Whether through his leadership of Wheaton Passage’s Urban Track and World Christian Fellowship or his spearheading Wheaton’s first International Apartment, Ben has enjoyed helping students grapple with uncertainties in their lives.

“I’m grateful for the tension Wheaton is able to rest in,” Ben admits. “Politically, ideologically, theologically, academically—there is always back and forth, but with openness to hear different perspectives. It’s not always easy wrestling with questions and doubts within communities full of confident Jesus-followers, but those same communities have kept me coming back and holding on to God, waiting on God’s Spirit in mystery and silence.” 

HOMETOWN: SUNBURY, OH

MAJOR(S): ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND URBAN STUDIES

FUN FACT: “WHEN POSSIBLE, I RUN BAREFOOT ON TRAILS. RUNNING BAREFOOT FEELS LIKE FLOATING OVER THE EARTH. MY BAREFOOT DISTANCE RECORD IS 11 MILES.”