What’s life without a little risk? Don’t ask Ben Pester.
During his four years in the U.S. Army, Binyamin “Ben” Pester, BBA ’21, traveled around the world and learned about different cultures. Pester recalls being in awe at the ease of travel, the variety of cultures and lifestyles he experienced while on an installation in Germany.
“I told myself I’d be back soon,” explains Pester. “It was always my plan to come back to Germany after I got my education. I love the vibe—it’s really quite different in Europe.
“You could travel and in two hours, be in a different country with a completely different culture. The work-life balance is also different. People work hard, but they hold their time off very dearly.”
After his time in the military, Pester says he was encouraged by a friend to take advantage of his military benefits and pursue higher education. Despite his initial doubts about his academic abilities, his risk paid off.
He found himself thriving in his classes at Temple and leaning into the Management Information Systems (MIS) curriculum.
“Fox really changed my mind completely about education,” says Pester. “It made me realize how important education is, and that based on the past experiences I had, I shouldn’t doubt myself. I was very surprised I did well at Fox, and it was definitely thanks to the professors who didn’t treat me like a kid, but as someone there to learn.”
Alongside Temple’s faculty, Pester says the school’s diversity greatly impacted his undergraduate experience.
“In the infantry, you meet some very hard-headed people, and then, coming into university, in terms of ideology and other aspects, diversity is one of the best qualities of Temple University,” says Pester.
When it came time to graduate, Pester took yet another risk by taking all he had learned and moving back to Germany, just as he had envisioned.
“I just set right off and went to Germany—it was kind of a gamble,” says Pester. “But I managed to get a job in the time I used my three-month visa.”
Before his big move, Pester studied German for five months and established connections in Germany, so he had a network of people waiting for him when he arrived. Pesters credits this for him acclimating to living in Germany more quickly.
According to Pester, people are often quick to comment on his move abroad.
“I hear it all the time, ‘I could never do what you did,’” says Pester. “But I didn’t really do anything special. I just took a risk and it worked out. Just take more risks—that’s what I would tell people.”