I believe it was some time in 2009, but it’s possible it could have been earlier. My phone rang at the desk at my old newspaper job and on the other end was Alice Rowe who was a bit excited.

 

For those that know Rowe, her being excited or on an emotional high isn’t a Biblical revelation. However, what she told me turned about to be as spot on as anything she had ever told me as it related to the field of journalism.

 

Rowe was certain she had found a diamond in the rough. Actually, she was certain she had already found a diamond. The only real issue was the youngster in question wasn’t even in high school and wasn’t part of Rowe’s journalism class of which I frequently dipped into the talent pool to utilize resources for the media business I was in.

 

The kid in question’s name was Ben Queen. He was in the eighth grade at Bridgeport Middle School. Alice Rowe had a simple request – would I consider looking at his work and perhaps publishing something in an upcoming edition.

 

Considering I was paying $5 to use photos that were being done as student work, to give this young man some time and, as I figured at worst, a boost of confidence, it wasn’t going to break the bank. I agreed, I saw the work, I met the young man, and I was blown away.

 

Fast forward, seven years. Ben Queen is a senior at West Virginia University. He’s held down a full-time job as a photographer for as long as I can remember and has ran his own business – and now manages plenty of others – as part of Ben Queen Photography.

 

If you’ve ever paid a bit of attention to the Connect-Bridgeport.com Web site, you know him at a minimum for his photography. If you live in Bridgeport or beyond, you may know him because of it or because of the fact he’s a respectable and very well liked young man.

 

And he’s a hustler. While many in his peer group were out having fun, asking the folks for a ride here or there or a ride of their own, Ben Queen was earning a living as a teenager. Granted, others his age work hard – I’ve seen it – but Ben was who I knew.

 

He’s been along for the ride here at Connect-Bridgeport since the beginning. I’ve known him well before that and, quite honestly, I enjoy his company and friendship as much as anyone my own age (and I’m, well, at least twice his age of 21).

 

My only concerns for Ben over the years was that I always wondered if he was having fun. Was he being able to be a youngster and a young man while putting in dozens of hours running a business while in high school and then in college? He always assured me such was the case.

 

Earlier this year, Ben asked if I could meet with him to talk about something important. Because I’m a worrier, I asked what it was about. He told me he was thinking about running for public office and he wanted an opinion differing from those that were either edging him toward running or were family or in his immediate peer group.

 

He and I, as well as another good friend met. My advice was similar to that of my friend – don’t run for office. Get through school first, wait a year and hit the campaign trail hard.

 

Considering that Ben Queen ran successfully for the West Virginia House of Delegates and was one of the highest vote getters in Harrison County, I guess you could say my advice stunk. In actuality, my advice was never about winning or losing. My advice was to make sure that he wouldn’t miss out on being a college student and some of the things that go with that. He knew that.

 

Since Connect-Bridgeport doesn’t do coverage of elections with the exception of Bridgeport Council, I didn’t write of Ben prior to the election or any number of the individuals involved in the races that I call friend and even family. When it was over, however, I needed to talk about Ben. After all, he’s now one of the three youngest members of the House, he’s been working since his paid gig on Dec. 17, 2007 when BMS and Principal Carole Crawford hired him to shoot the school’s winter formal, and he’s worked directly with me for most of a decade.

 

“Some don’t understand what it’s like to be your own boss and having a fulltime job at my age, but I’ve met a bunch of new folks and have had so many opportunities because of it. Plus, working for myself has allowed me to do things a lot of times when I want to. It allows me to go where I want or need to,” said Queen when I asked him again about missing out. “The big thing through this and even before is I haven’t set my friends aside, but just slept a few hours less. I still hang out with my friends.”

 

That’s certainly good news. But what on earth would make a 21-year-old to get involved in politics? If anyone paid attention, it’s not exactly a place where everyone plays fairly. In fact, as the most recent election showed, it gets nasty.

 

“I can’t escape the DNA in my family,” said Ben laughing.

 

At the Queen household, father Mike is no stranger to politics. He’s a former legislator, a former Board of Education member and president and recently ran for state senator. Ben said politics is a long-standing staple of conversation.

 

“Day after day, we talk politics. You either are consumed by it or learn to enjoy it through debate and conversation. I’ve learned to enjoy it,” said Queen.

 

Perhaps that’s why some individuals approached Ben about running for office two years ago at the age of 19. With his father on the ticket already, he didn’t think it was a wise idea. This time around, several factors changed it.

 

“The thing that got it going was realizing there was an open seat when (Delegate) Patsy (Trecost, D-Harrison) vacated his seat. I didn’t want to see just anyone fill it and respected what he had done,” said Queen, who talked about Trecost frequently going across party lines to find middle ground. “Plus, when there’s a seat open it’s 25 percent easier.”

 

Another factor came during a recent holiday event when he had friends at his Morgantown apartment – and by friends I mean a gathering of 30 individuals; most of whom were from Bridgeport and Harrison County. He asked a serious question and got a troubling answer.

 

“We’re either in or near our senior years and I’m asking about what everyone’s plans are and if they’re coming back to Bridgeport or staying here. No one there said they had definite plans to come back and I thought, wow, I don’t want to be running a business in a place where my friends aren’t going to be,” said Queen. “I like my adult friends, but at the end of the day I want my friends here … That kind of hit me knowing that a lot of my friends, who truly are among the best and the brightest, probably would be leaving the state for good.”

 

Two things now were in Ben Queen’s head as to why run for office. Most everything else was pointing to it as well, but he didn’t pull the trigger. And the trigger wasn’t pulled until the final day of filing.

 

It wasn’t part of a ploy. Rather, it was out of respect for one of the people he cares most about – his mother Paula Carter.

 

“My mom wasn’t on board and if she wasn’t on board I was perfectly fine with not running. She was going through a rough time (after her husband Randy Carter has passed away in June of 2015) and there was absolutely no way I would put her through that; a campaign wasn’t worth it,” said Ben. “The day before the filing period ended she came to me and said she was on board and that was all I needed to hear.”

 

Of course, Queen had to miss a day of college classes to head south and file. And now, he’ll have to sit out a semester as he approaches the period to wrap up his business management degree. However, he has no regrets and is more than ready to put in “as much time as is needed” to find success.

 

While success in the legislature is determined on a person by person basis, I can assure you whatever time is required, Ben will put it in. There is zero doubt of that.

 

“I know this is a learning process, but I’m not at all scared by what’s going to be my first 60-day session,” said Queen. “I’m young enough to learn things to help shape where I’m going. I’m going to go in and form opinions by looking at both sides of the issues. I have no desire to go to Charleston and not accomplish anything. If that was the case, I would have never filed for the office. I hope to make a difference for the millennials and see them stay in West Virginia, but I represent everyone. .”

 

It goes without saying I’m biased on my thoughts about Ben Queen, but I think they’re justified. What isn’t bias is that he’s a young man who isn’t afraid of working hard to get where he wants. And if that means making the state better, then I’m all in regardless of whether he has a D or an R after his name.

 

Besides, he came with an initial endorsement from Alice Rowe. It doesn’t get much more qualified than that.

 

Editor's Note: Top photo shows Ben Queen at work in Morgantown, while he's shown pre-game with BHS Coach Josh Nicewarner in the second photo. In the third photo, the official filing of papers to run for office. Below, Queen being honored in 2013 at the 30 under 30 banquet for successful young people. Photos courtesy of Ben Queen; top photo taken by Chiara Pulice.