Alumni Profile: Benjamin Gotchel (PPE ’15)

After graduating from King’s, Benjamin Gotchel (PPE ’15) moved to Washington D.C. to work as a Freedom Partner Retention Manager at International Justice Mission (IJM), an international organization dedicated to ending slavery in our lifetime. We sat down with Ben to talk about how his King’s education prepared him for career, community, and life after graduation.

You’re a few years out from graduation—what’s it been like to transition from being a student at King’s to being a professional?

Embarking on a career feels a bit like a sea voyage, pushing off from a familiar shore and setting your eyes on a distant, sometimes hazy, horizon. When I first started thinking about my job search, I had a specific destination in mind and I was worried about setting off in an imperfect direction. What I’ve realized is that there are many ways to get to the same destination, and there’s lots of room for growth along the way as I familiarize myself with my vessel. It’s even possible to stumble across new lands that are more appealing than what I originally sought.

I currently work as the Freedom Partner Retention Manager at International Justice Mission. I get to do amazing things: caring for donors, dipping my toes into data analysis, and working alongside colleagues way cooler and smarter than myself. I get to be a piece of an awesome puzzle that, as a whole, works to protect the poor from violence and impunity in the developing world. How cool is that?

When I launched off that beach onto the voyage of my career, I didn’t plan on laying anchor here—but I’m so glad I have.

How did the faculty, curriculum, and environment of King’s prepare you for your current work?

The classes—and the professors who helmed them—were key in preparing me for where I am today. The vital content of the courses was essential, and beyond that, the principled approach to seeking knowledge and truth still serves as a guiding star for me. I value the earnestness with which my professors engaged with their students and the topics at hand. They provided a structure for how to think, equipping me so I might continue the pursuit of arete once beyond the walls of the College. I hope not to disappoint them!

Beyond the classroom, I found a surrogate family in students and faculty alike. Some of my perspectives and assumptions were lovingly challenged, and I also received comforting wisdom in times of need. The student body took many forms—the seat mates in class, the study groups that sprang up in times of crisis, the roguish band of roommates, the brethren of my House (Bonhoeffer!)—each with its advantages. But in all its variations, there was a momentous atmosphere to the student body, the kind that brews when any number of people gather with a common purpose; you could taste it in the ions of the air.

It sounds like you found a wonderful community at King’s. How has that played out since you graduated, and more recently, moved to Washington D.C. to work at IJM?

Honestly, community has been a challenge since leaving the familiarity of New York City and moving to the DC area. Social engagements don’t happen so effortlessly when there are no Helmsmen coordinating events, and friendships are just harder to build when you’re not sharing classrooms and dorm rooms with people of roughly your age. That being said, I’ve found great joy in community since graduating.

I’m fortunate to work alongside fellow Christians and share daily spiritual rhythms with them. Every weekday I gather with my colleagues at IJM, hear about challenges and successes across the global organization, and get to join in prayer with them over these things. We also have quarterly prayer retreats and study a new spiritual discipline each year; this year we’re studying celebration, and as an introvert it’s been challenging to come to terms with the fact that one of the fruits of the Spirit is JOY! So this year I’m working to be a bit more expressive with my emotions and really take pleasure in the things of life, big and small. And that includes community.

What does life look like outside of work?

My wife Kathleen (PPE ’15) and I met at King’s and got married in June 2016. Living as a married man means having a daily opportunity to look beyond myself and seek the flourishing of another. It’s awesome, it’s humbling, and it’s so, so fun.

We’ve been attending McLean Presbyterian Church in Virginia, and have been getting more deeply involved there. Kathleen attends a community group and helps with communion prep each month. She’s also the coordinator for both short-term care and the ever-vital coffee table! I help usher once a month and have the privilege of leading a men’s community group. Together, we meet with another couple who generously serve as our marriage mentors. We’ll be attending the church retreat this year for the second time, and we’re excited for the opportunity to get even better acquainted with our fellow congregants. With every passing week the congregation feels more like family.

Kathleen and I are unified in our identity as introverts, which weighs into the challenging aspect of community I mentioned earlier. The classes Kathleen and I took together at King’s fueled many conversations between us as we spent time together; our local haunt (even Friday nights!) was a table just outside the school library where we would talk and study for hours. One of the great things about marriage is that you have the opportunity to encourage one another towards the things that you both know are good! We’ll probably always be searching for that perfect balance of community engagement and time alone (together), but I’m grateful to pursue a common goal together.