He Sought Community and Ultimately Transformed Culture

It is often said that a revolution begins with one thought and that one thought has the ability to transform lives, communities and culture. Benjamin Hoopes, class of 2024 at Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas, thought it was important to interact with friends without the interference of smart phones or other electronic devices. He started a wifi-free zone and eventually began a transformation of culture on the college campus.

“We’re taught about community a lot at Benedictine and I wanted to get a group of people together to say, ‘I am committing to you as your friend and we are going to live in community together and we’re also going to try to live an intentional life together,’” Benjamin said, “not letting technology distract us but saying Yes to things in life. Having music nights, or poetry bonfires — that is living out community and faith.”

Ever since it launched its new strategic plan, Benedictine College has given the Transforming Culture in America Award at each commencement. This year, the award recognized Benjamin for his intentional effort to effect change across campus.

Originating from the East Coast, the Hoopes family made the critical decision to move to Northeastern Kansas in 2009. Benjamin was one of 9 children who mostly grew up in Atchison and experienced a strong sense of community in both the family and in the small town.

“They taught me how to be a good friend and how to live in community,” he said. “That was probably the best lesson I learned being from a big family.”

When Benjamin was looking at colleges, he made the decision to attend Benedictine, the place where his father, Tom Hoopes, works as the Vice President of College Relations. Majoring in Theology with a minor in Philosophy, Benjamin began his journey as a Raven in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

During his college career, Benjamin positioned himself to be involved in numerous programs and fellowships and did his best to take advantage of all the opportunities at Benedictine. He was a Resident Assistant for men’s housing. He helped lead a Theology of the Body group of students, studying what it means to be human through the thought of Pope St. John Paul II. He served individuals around him through tutoring children from broken homes. He promoted and encouraged community through the J.P. II Fellowship Program. He was a Gregorian Fellow and served on the Ministry Team. Benjamin also participated in a research opportunity that expanded education beyond the classroom by presenting twice at the annual college Discovery Day. Through his research, he learned the importance of genuine friendship and began seeking opportunities to collaborate with the community in faith and scholarship.

“I think a lot about relationships,” Benjamin said. “I’ve discovered through my Discovery Day project that we live in an isolating world. We have technological advances but the friendships people have are shallow. We expect everything to be happy like in the movies — perfect and ideal — and it’s just not. But the work of relationships is something to be learned and is driving me and my life now.”

Through Benjamin’s emphasis on relational impact, he set out to revolutionize the campus in pursuit of authentic companionship.

His wifi-free program on campus facilitated healthy and authentic friendships. Students were able to immerse themselves in the communal environment without the hindrance of technology. He began community dinners four times a week with students from differing backgrounds to connect on various topics while building one another up. He began to reconstruct student experiences while not allowing technology to inhibit standard life experiences. Through his intentional extracurriculars, he established a firmer sense of how impactful relationships are.

“That is something I believe I encountered in college, the beauty of relationships,” Benjamin said. “But then I realized, ‘Oh wait, this beauty has been here this entire time.’”

Through these activities, Benjamin has established a direction on which he can build his career. He plans to receive his master’s in counseling and become a counselor for young adult ministry, children, and families where he can use his natural characteristics of hospitality and empathy, aspects of life that tend to be lost in today’s fast paced world.

As Benjamin looks to the future, he credits Benedictine College for stimulating his desire to transform culture in this way.

“I am a totally different person,” he said. “My time at Benedictine has made me realize my values, put them in the right order and learn how to be human. I have learned to see all things as a gift and prayer. I’ve learned the right priorities and how to appreciate all of creation and my life. It’s through the professors that mentored me and the friendships I’ve made that have enriched my life.”

By Emma R.C. Lyons