Transform adversity into personal empowerment. Growing up as an orphan, earning his pilot’s license upon high school graduation, and joining the army at age 17, Ben’s story is a tale of perseverance, courage, and survival. He journeys from an abusive foster care home to the battlefields of Afghanistan, from university classrooms to trips through Europe. Ben’s varied experiences offer unique insight into how to draw strength and inspiration from hardship.

Born in Vancouver, Ben lost his mother to cancer at the age of six. Meanwhile, his father was denied full custody on grounds of alcohol abuse and died of cancer when Ben was 13 years old. At age 17, Ben joined the Canadian Forces where he went on to serve in Afghanistan at the age of 21 and became a section commander at age 23. A student of political science, he graduated from the University of Victoria in 2013. Ben has traveled to over 20 countries around the world, including backpacking trips through Norway, Russia and France. His home base is in Vancouver Island, BC, where he was proud to purchase a home when he was 21 after he returned from Afghanistan. He is currently studying at Carleton University in Ottawa, ON.

Ben Hess' profile page

“Ben Hess has experienced more and drawn more deductions from the experiences in his short life that most of us can ever hope to. His perspective as a soldier, while only a part of his life, is his own and lends a maturity to his writing. It reflects an educated individual’s using his understanding to draw lessons from a rich and tumultuous life. Ben is a survivor who leads us on a voyage of awakening as to what the canvas of life really is when looked at from one who has experienced so much.”

"Having done a great deal of research on fatherless sons and the challenges they face, I commend not only the courage but also the insight that is demonstrated by Ben in this work. He is able to articulate the challenges he faced as a boy alone in the world and how he used his inner strength to overcome a terrible situation when all else seemed lost to him."- James Cloughley, Author of A Man’s Work Is Never Done: A Novel About Mentoring Our Sons

"Having done a great deal of research on fatherless sons and the challenges they face, I commend not only the courage but also the insight that is demonstrated by Ben in this work. He is able to articulate the challenges he faced as a boy alone in the world and how he used his inner strength to overcome a terrible situation when all else seemed lost to him. This would be a great read not only for those who have been adopted but also for those who are adopting guardians. Great work Ben and congratulations.”