At the close of every academic year, Թ at Geauga honors a recent alum with the Early Career Achievement Award. This distinction honors a strong leader who shows continued potential in their chosen field, with commitment to the community and university.
During the 2025 commencement ceremonies in May, Dean Angela Spalsbury presented this award to 2020 graduate Benjamin Wilcox. She said, “Ben is one of many successful alumni from our campus, and his journey is a powerful example of dedication, service, and perseverance. As a veteran, college graduate, and now a police officer, Ben has already built an impressive portfolio early in his career.”
No one was more surprised than Officer Wilcox that he was selected for this honor. “I don’t even know what I did to earn this award,” he said in retrospect.
“I just was me… I just do my job. I do what I think is right and hit the ground running. I don’t do anything in order to get recognized. Recognition and awards don’t matter to me as long as I’m doing the right thing and helping. That’s what matters most. I didn’t even know this award existed. It’s been a very humbling experience. I was caught off guard.”
Perhaps humility is one of the unspoken attributes of Achievement Award winners. Although he was a nontraditional student at Թ State Geauga after serving five years in the U.S. Marine Corps as a military policeman, Ben embraced campus life.
He selected Թ State Geauga, not just for its proximity to Chardon, but for its accommodating size. “This was easier than traveling to main campus, and it was easier to adjust to, considering its smaller class sizes and the one-on-one connections I could have with faculty and students. It was hard to adjust to college life after the Marine Corps at age 23. I wasn’t like most of the other freshmen. Թ State Geauga was more homey; I got the help I needed here.”
In fact, Ben not only excelled in his coursework but also got involved in campus life leadership as the first undergraduate Student Government President at Թ State Geauga. In this role, he listened to students’ wants and needs, and served as a liaison between the faculty/administration and students, holding the first homecoming at the Թ State Geauga branch. The experience helped Ben develop his interpersonal, leadership and problem-solving skills. “I discovered I can always find ways to make things better,” he says now.
As Dean Spalsbury noted while presenting the award, “His leadership and commitment to his peers continue today in his current role as a police officer with the Chardon Police Department. Ben’s passion for service, proactive mindset, and dedication to his community set him apart as a rising professional. We are incredibly proud of Ben’s accomplishments and excited to see his future.”
For Ben, receiving the award during live commencement ceremonies was restorative.
“The commencement experience was really cool since I didn’t get to walk [due to COVID restrictions] when I graduated in May 2020. This time, I actually got to go to commencement and walk across that stage… not to get my degree but to get this award. I guess it was a bittersweet moment.”
His return to Geauga County has also been restorative. Despite moving cross country throughout his youth—from Colorado to Chardon, to Missouri, then serving in California, Texas and South Carolina before returning to Chardon—Ben has always held two career goals in mind: to be a police officer and a businessman. With his military experience behind him, Ben earned a bachelor’s degree in business management.
His thinking is, “Police work is obviously dangerous, so, if I get hurt or otherwise have to move on from police work, business would be a good, productive fallback. Besides, policing is a type of business with a hierarchy, so I am learning how to lead people efficiently and effectively.”
After earning his degree, Ben worked as a Euclid police officer for four years before joining the Chardon police force in September 2024.
Over his five years in policing, Ben has stayed in contact with Թ State Geauga faculty, administration, and students, stopping in to say ‘hi,’ joining social gatherings, and bringing in a therapy dog from the Euclid police department.
Ben’s side job is also in the area: He teaches people how to be prepared for self-defense with proper, safe firearm usage at First Strike Gun Range in Newbury.
Eventually, he would like to own and operate his own gun range.
Meanwhile, Ben is immersed in his police work, where he relishes the opportunity to be a public service ambassador to community residents; especially young people. “Ever since I was a little kid, I always wanted to be a policeman,” he explains.
“I grew up seeing all first responders as heroes; especially the police. They help people and seem fearless in the face of danger, running toward trouble rather than away from it.”
Over the generations, Chardon has nurtured positive community relations between police and residents. Ben’s previous DARE officer is now his boss. The current lieutenant was on the force when he was growing up; the chief’s father was chief of police when Ben’s father was a boy. “The Chardon police always stopped and talked to us when we were young,” Ben recalls.
Now Ben—the only member of his family to serve as a law enforcement officer—can have that positive influence on a new generation of kids growing up in Chardon. His commitment and drive to make a difference were evident when he was a Թ State Geauga student, they continue today, and inspire great expectations for the future.
Perspective from Chardon Chief of Police
Chardon Police Chief Scott Niehus has graciously added his memories and perspective regarding Ben Wilcox, his family’s roots in Chardon, and the traits Ben has shown since childhood that have led him along a path of early career achievement and community service:
I have known Ben and his family for quite a while. Ben’s father, Travis, was two years behind me in school, and his uncle, Race, was in my class. Ben’s grandparents, Hal and Sandy Wilcox, both worked at Chardon High School. My wife and I lived on Chardon Avenue, close to both the high school and Ben’s grandparents' house. Ben would occasionally walk past my home, and if I was there, he would stop to look at my Sheriff’s car, as I worked at the Geauga Sheriff’s Office for 27.5 years before coming to Chardon. Ben was always very curious about policing and would quiz me about the equipment I carried in my vehicle.
Eventually, Ben and his dad moved out of the area, and I lost contact with him for a number of years. However, Travis has always been very supportive of local law enforcement, often going out of his way to say hello and catch up. When Travis told me that Ben had joined the Marine Corps, he beamed with pride and frequently updated me on Ben’s progress whenever I saw him. He mentioned that Ben was a military police officer and aspired to pursue a career in policing after his service.
When Ben returned to Chardon after completing his service in the Marine Corps, he would stop by the station to visit some of the officers. He had started working at a local gun shop and enrolled at Թ. I was thrilled to hear that he was committed to pursuing his degree. I often see young officers entering the profession without a degree who don’t take advantage of tuition reimbursement or make the time to go to school. Ben was different, and he was dedicated to attaining his degree before he started the police academy, which I thought was a fantastic decision.
I was not surprised to learn that Ben had excelled in the Police Academy, and during his pre-employment testing with us, I attended Tri-C to watch the physical agility testing. Several of Ben’s academy instructors approached me to provide positive recommendations for him.
When Ben submitted his application to Chardon, I was excited; his background matched exactly what we look for. He has knowledge of the local community, military service, a bachelor’s degree, and prior police experience. From a Police Chief’s perspective, Ben has the tools to become a highly effective officer and leader.
Our job now is to teach him our procedures and provide him with the resources he needs to succeed. As he matures with us, we will assign him additional responsibilities and opportunities for growth within our organization and the community. Great things lie ahead for Ben if he continues on his current path.