With a full schedule of classes, creative work, campus organizations and jobs, Ben Kalmey has heard the same question more than once: When do you sleep?

“’At night’ is what I like to tell people,” he said.

As a student in the Master of Arts in Corporate Communication program at PennWest Edinboro, Ben is building on the foundation he developed in the Bachelor of Science in Communication – Strategic Communication program, along with a minor in music, while staying deeply involved across campus.

He is a vital part of the Spirit of the Scots Marching Band, the University Choir, WFSE Fighting Scots Radio and Kappa Kappa Psi. He has looked consistently for ways to connect communication, creativity and service, and that is exactly what he has done through the NWPA Innovation Beehive Network, PennWest Edinboro’s on-campus center where students help regional businesses and nonprofits. There, he helps clients through search engine optimization, marketing and website audits.

“The NWPA Beehive has been a great hands-on experience as a communications major,” he said.

For Ben, the value of getting involved has never just been about staying busy. It has been about belonging.

“At every organization on campus, I’ve kind of felt like I’ve found a family,” he reflected. “Through my time at Edinboro, I’ve learned that a lot of things are important in life, but culture and family are things you can’t replicate everywhere.”

That same feeling carries into his work at the Beehive.

“It’s fun to go into work. It’s not a job,” he said.

In class, students talk about theory. Through the Beehive, Ben  puts those ideas into practice and helps local organizations grow.

Ben also had a direct hand in something that will leave a lasting mark on PennWest. With another student, he helped develop the name PEAK: Powering Entrepreneurs through Action and Knowledge. It started, he said, with time at a whiteboard trying different possibilities until one clicked. That process was creative, collaborative and practical, which feels like a perfect reflection of his PennWest experience.

“Finding your people is very important,” he said. That idea carries through everything he describes, from the radio station to the Beehive to the organizations that have shaped his time on campus.

Ben sees himself doing meaningful work in the field of communications. Wherever that path leads, he will carry that lesson with him. Ats PennWest, his story shows what can happen when students say yes to opportunities, step into community and find people who make the work feel meaningful.