I’m Ben Maxfield, a second-degree student pursuing a Bachelors of Computer Science (BCS) degree.
I grew up Fort St. John BC, a city of ~20,000 people, and moved to Calgary, AB at the age of 17. While completing my BCom at the University of Calgary, I was also pursuing motorsports; during my second-year I moved to Montreal, QC to race cars professionally.
I returned to Calgary to complete my BCom, and graduated in December 2020. After graduating, I worked as the Business Development Lead at a startup in Calgary. Finally, I began studying at the University of British Columbia in September 2021.
I didn’t change the direction of my career because I no longer enjoy finance, but moreso because I find that computer science is a natural place to land if you’re curious about markets and securities. Finance is a wonderful and useful field of study, but I was always left wanting to “make things”. Computer science on the other hand, gives access to skills that allow you to follow up on curiosities and stray ideas. Both fields interest me independently, and I’m very happy to see them in composite as I continue my second-degree.
To cover some (more) personal interests, I enjoy a wide range of music: Jazz, Hip-Hop, and EDM are my most-loved genres. My favourite albums are (in no particular order):
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- Miles Davis – Kind of Blue
- A Tribe Called Quest – The Low End Theory
- Nujabes – Modal Soul
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I try to find my way to a gym most days of the work week, and I spend too much time playing video games with friends, most often we play League of Legends (unfortunately).
I have worn many different hats to date. If there is a common thread between finance, motorsports, and computer science, it is that they’re all things that interest and excite me. I have always been one to “drop everything” and pursue my interests, and my only goal for the future is to continue doing so.