Rising Stars: Meet Ray Bennett

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ray Bennett.

Hi Ray, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start, maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers. 
My story doesn’t start in my childhood; it began when I was medically discharged from the United States Marine Corps. My intentions were to make the Marine Corps my career, but once I was injured, that dream came to an end. I was released back to the civilian world with no higher education, technical certifications, or experience in the workforce. Broken both physically and mentally, I did not have much hope for my future.

I also became a father to my first son when I was 19 yrs. old. Which added additional stress to find something to do that was adequate to support my family. I was able to find work and started to find a niche in the world that I was good at. Adding to my family my second son was born a few years later, and by this time I really gaining momentum in a job that I could climb the ladder and maybe retire from.

After 12 good years, I was laid off from this job and found myself back to the beginning in trying to find a career that I could retire from. I moved through jobs, spending 2 to 3 years employed with each one but not finding somewhere I felt I could make a career out of. It was about 10 years of bouncing from one job to the next till I finally found a job that I really felt I was suited for.

Having difficulties dealing with daily life, I found a hobby that I could do with another Marine Corps friend of mine, Javier, that would help relieve my PTSD and Anxiety symptoms. I got my scuba diving certification and started diving regularly. Javier and I saw there were benefits that scuba diving could have with other veterans who were suffering from similar issues as me and Javier.

In 2016, we formed our veterans non-profit named Diving Devil Dogs, where we help other veterans through scuba diving and overlanding adventures. The non-profit that we formed eventually would turn and help me get through one of the most difficult times in my life, losing my wife of 17 years. The organization and individuals who we had once helped, were there to help support me, getting me through and giving me hope for the future.

Wanting to understand more about mental health and the urge to help others, I decided to go to school so I could gain more knowledge in the field of psychology. I graduated from NAU (Northern Arizona University) with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and a minor in Sociology. I pursued higher learning and graduated from GCU (Grand Canyon University) with a Master of Science in Mental Health and Wellness, with an emphasis in Prevention.

Currently, I am attending Liberty University as a Ph.D. in Psychology I/O (Industrial/Organization). I have learned through the years that life takes many unexpected turns. After my wife passed away, I figured I would be alone for the rest of my life, all the kids were raised and moved out on their own, and for once in my life, I was truly alone, which I thought I would be fine with but learned in a very short period of time that I hated it.

Out of the blue, I came face to face with Elaina and knew right away that we were going to be together. We were married last year and now we are expecting a new baby, which will put me with 9 children and 1 grandchild. Just 10 years ago, I would have never thought I would be where I am today in my education, career, and family. All I know is that I am very happy where I am in life, and all the trials and tribulations getting to this point are worth the calm, settled feeling I feel today.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The road to get to where I am now was anything but smooth. I struggled with mental illness from my time in the Marine Corps. I had to learn how to take my physical disabilities and work with them where they would not hold me back. Without any technical training or college under my belt, I had to start at the beginning with just about every job I took on and had to teach myself the skills I needed to be successful.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a Project Manager for Microsoft; I specialize in data center construction. I am known for my ability to solve complex problems, handling a multitude of tasks simultaneously while maintaining a high level of professionalism. I am most proud of having grit, not giving up, and working hard, no matter what I was doing.

I feel what sets me apart from others is my ability to understand how psychology plays a huge part in driving employee’s motivations while on the job site. My daily goal is to build others up, doing my best to have others feel equally important.

Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
I feel the best thing about our city is the diversity that exists and the wide variety of cultures we are able to mingle with and get to know. The thing I like the least about our city is how crowded it has become.

A few years ago, I moved out of the main city about 100 miles north to a little town with less than 1000 people. I still commute into the city every day to work, which makes the crowds more tolerable because I am not having to deal with it all day every day.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.dddus.org
• Instagram: @divingdevildogs
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/www.dddaz.org
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQAl_Y4pxvHUcIuGz2e2KlQ