![\"UMW](\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/greatminds\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2017\/03\/GreatMinds_Henderson_768x310-300x121.jpg\")
He was wrong.<\/p>\n
In opening his eyes to other religions, he said, \u201cIt made me a better Christian.\u201d<\/p>\n
That\u2019s key for Henderson, who spent long summer days playing games with the children who were dropped off for daycare at the center his parents, both pastors, built to support the Fredericksburg community. Somewhere along the way, playtime turned serious, and he found himself called to the ministry. It\u2019s a quest he continues at UMW, where his majors, sociology \u2013 and now also religion \u2013 will guide him toward his dream to help at-risk youth.<\/p>\n
The youngest of four \u2013 brother Joseph Jr. \u201914 and sister Ashley Nicole \u201911 are also UMW alums \u2013 Henderson was reared on hard work. As his mother and father labored tirelessly around him, \u201cIt became second nature to try to do as much as I can,\u201d said Henderson, who stocked food, sorted clothes and swept floors early on. The first to arrive in the morning. The last to leave every night.<\/p>\n
When middle-school basketball, with no Sunday obligations, gave him a chance to do his own thing, his parents showed up to support him.<\/p>\n
\u201cEven when I was on the bench most of the game,\u201d Henderson said, \u201cthey were the family that was always there.\u201d<\/p>\n
Choosing Mary Washington kept Henderson close to them \u2013 and to the center \u2013 but he was adamant about living on campus. \u201cWhen I\u2019m on campus, I\u2019m at school,\u201d he said. \u201cI get caught up in learning.\u201d<\/p>\n
That includes that first shaky foray into religion with Associate Professor of Classics, Philosophy and Religion Mary Beth Mathews. \u201cThe Abrahamic Religions\u201d dissected Christianity, Judaism and Islam, and gave Henderson a new view.<\/p>\n
\u201cI liked that class,\u201d he said. \u201c[Studying religion] has given me a chance to set aside my Christian lens and find a different perspective.\u201d<\/p>\n
With a schedule like his, perspective is important. He\u2019s in the UMW Chorus, took part in the University\u2019s recent branded marketing campaign, helps out in the Office of Admissions and squeezes in side jobs and classes where he can. That\u2019s on top of a full-time curriculum, a part-time job with Academic Services, and of course, his work at the center, where he now administers the youth program he used to be part of.<\/p>\n
Program Support Technician Charlotte Corbett-Parker, who supervises Henderson in Academic Services, credits his stellar performance, in part, to the skills he picked up at the center.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese are life experiences that other students just don\u2019t have,\u201d she said. \u201cYou don\u2019t see a lot of people wanting to serve the community the way [his family does]. Ben is tied into helping others. It\u2019s something that comes natural to him.\u201d<\/p>\n
He also plays drums at church, where he\u2019s passing his passion for the art down to the kids who\u2019ve come after him. He plans to weave his musical talent into his dreams \u2013 attending seminary school, developing nonprofit programs, and teaching, all to bolster families and community.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I think of things I want to do, I never can say just one thing and leave it at that,\u201d he said. \u201cI think that\u2019s because of how I grew up.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Religion major puts community first<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":90,"featured_media":19739,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"umw_cb_additional_links":[[]],"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_advisory_expires_time":"","_advisory_meta_include":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-19737","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-show","8":"entry"},"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n