Bennett Stephens

Bennett Stephens ’15 has two loves: data and people. Landing a job as a senior research analyst at the Lewin Group, a health care consulting firm in Falls Church, Virginia, means he can work with both.

Stephens came to Kenyon from Springfield, Illinois, on a pre-medical track. A biology lab his first year led to his decision to major in biology. He spent the summer before his senior year working on a macro ecology project that involved large data sets as part of the Summer Science Scholars program. “I realized I love working with data and seeing what the outcome is,” he said. But the experience also taught him that he didn’t want to spend all his time working at a computer.

With the help of the Selective Liberal Arts Consortium through the Career Development Office, Stephens was able to find a job that involved data and people.  He will work with state government agencies as they set up health care exchanges, making sure medical insurance policies are implemented correctly. “I’ll be meeting with clients, going to sites,” he said. “It’s a very collaborative work environment.”

As for medical school, he said he’s waiting until he’s worked a couple of years before he makes that decision.

“I finished all the premed courses. I took the MCATs,” he said. “I realized there is a lot more to health care than just becoming a physician.”