Benjamin Burgess is a Medical Corps Officer in the United States Navy.

“Before the military, I lacked direction in my life,” said Burgess, who is also on target to earn his Master of Business Administration and Doctor of Medicine from UAB in 2020.

“The military has pushed me to my limits on several occasions and it’s good to know where those limits are so you can apply it to other areas of your life,” said Burgess. “Knowing when you can give just five percent more can make the difference in accomplishing something great.”

Burgess is no stranger to giving more to others. He has volunteered for the Crisis Center Birmingham, Amedysis Hospice, Feeding America, and Habitat for Humanity. He sees his investment in others as an investment in himself as a leader. He encourages others to accept every challenge.

“Focus on today and what must be done in order to get to the next step of achieving the over-arching goal,” said Burgess.

This story was included in the Summer 2018 “SHP Snapshots: Heroes Issue”. For more information, read about Ben and other SHP alumni.