Ben Spence found his passion fairly early in life. But it wasn’t until many years later that he was able to marry his passion to meaning.

Ben’s role model was his father. His dad was an accountant—a compassionate man who was really good with people. He climbed up through the ranks, ultimately becoming a vice president at his company. To Ben, he was everything a businessman should be.

So when it came time to go to college, Ben studied finance. After graduation, he got a job in real estate, but sales just wasn’t for him. About that time, his parents retired to Florida. Ben followed them, figuring he could care for his parents and pursue a career in finance.

Lee Health happened to have an opening. It was just a clerical position, but like his father, Ben rose through the ranks. By the time he was promoted to controller of the massive regional health system, he thought about getting a master’s degree, but he just didn’t have the time for a traditional program. Fortunately, FGCU had an online program that would make all the difference in his career.

The Master of Health Science program in Marieb College of Health and Human Services rounded out Ben’s knowledge. Before his degree, improving quality to save costs—a key trend in health care today—was an interesting concept. But Marieb College connected all the dots for him, clarifying the concept and greatly impacting the way he saw his job. His degree also made it possible for him to become Chief Financial and Business Services Officer at Lee Health.

A career in healthcare was a happy accident for Ben. And now, after 22 years, it’s the only industry he would ever want to be in. It’s always challenging. Always interesting. And he’s able to make a difference in people’s lives. What could be better than that?