Justin Leader's journey to success began with an unexpected campus visit to PennWest California. As a first-generation college student from Bedford, Pennsylvania, Justin had little guidance about higher education until a chance encounter changed everything.

"A good buddy of mine was taking a trip out to Cal's campus as he was being recruited for football, so he asked if I wanted to tag along," Justin recalls. While his friend was being recruited, Justin explored the campus and met Paul Burns, who offered him a tour.

"He took such attention to detail and talking me through the whole college experience and the help and resources available to me," Justin says. "I was a poor, adopted kid. My grandfather, who raised me, had barely a high school education. His mother, my great grandmother, never made it to high school. So for me, this was a big opportunity."

Initially planning to become a teacher with a focus on athletic training, Justin's direction shifted after taking an anatomy class. "Doctor Hess... blew my mind with science. And I immediately changed my undergraduate to pre-medicine," he explains. He graduated with high honors, a 3.5 GPA, and later earned a master's in exercise science.

Today, Justin is the president and CEO of Benefits DNA, a company he founded nearly 15 years ago. "For the past 14 going on 15 years, I've spent my career as the president and CEO of this organization with our trademark, we fix your healthcare," he explains. His work has even led to discussions at the White House regarding healthcare transparency.

His advice to new students reflects the motto he learned from his grandfather: "Leaders never quit." As Justin puts it, "Nothing worthwhile ever comes easy. You're going to come through this experience and you're going to be faced with hurdles and challenges... Those inches become yards, those yards become touchdowns. You will end up winning at life if you do not give up."