A “Benjamin” is worth $100 dollars, but to Liberty, Wes Benjamin is worth all that and more. 

After 39 long years of teaching, Benjamin is retiring. This year, he is the only teacher to do so. 

For 27 years, Benjamin has been a familiar face to many at Liberty. Currently, he teaches Personal Finance, Economics, and Learn and Earn.

“Over my time here I’ve taught a lot of different classes,” Benjamin said. “I used to be in the history department and I used to teach some computer stuff.”

“There’s no doubt that my favorite class to teach is Learn and Earn. It’s real life stuff,” Benjamin said. 

Before he came to Liberty, Benjamin taught at Tyee High School, where he also coached basketball.
“There was a coach at Liberty who told me how much he liked it here, so when he left I applied to be head coach of the girl’s basketball team,” Benjamin said. “I got the job and once I found out the culture and climate, I just knew I wanted to be here.” 

Over the course of working here, Benjamin has coached basketball, football, and tennis for a couple of years.

Through both coaching and teaching, Benjamin has made a lasting impression on many students. Senior Brandon Reinhold took all of Benjamin’s classes just because he liked him.

“He can take a joke, he can make a joke, and he’s pretty awesome,” Reinhold said. 

Benjamin is known for not being above having a good laugh, especially when it helps him make connections with his students.
“My favorite part is making a connection with the kids. That’s probably the thing I’m going to miss the most,” Benjamin said. “And watching them grow and mature into who they are.”

However, after being a teacher and working with kids for so long, Benjamin is ready to retire. 

“I’m just tired. 39 years is long enough,” Benjamin said. 

Although he’s leaving, Benjamin will still be around next year as a substitute teacher. 

“I’m only going to sub here,” Benjamin said. “Mainly because I want to keep in contact with some of the teachers that are here.” 

Despite missing the friends he’s made here, there are things that Benjamin isn’t sad to leave behind. 

“I’m not going to miss the meetings; I’m not going to miss the grading; and I’m not going to miss feeling like you have to be on point every day,” Benjamin said.

With his newly found free time, Benjamin is ready to get back out there and live stress-free.

“I will be playing a lot of pickleball, racquetball, trying to play golf, and going to the gym,” Benjamin said.

“I also do some Door Dashing,” Benjamin said. “Some people think that’s weird, but I like to drive and be in my car listening to the radio, music, and sports.”

Other than traveling along the local roads, Benjamin also has plans to travel the world. 

“I just want to go everywhere,” Benjamin said. “I want to go to Europe and I really badly want to go to Australia. I don’t know why, I just think it’d be cool.”

 If you ever see him around the school, be sure to wish him a happy retirement! 

“I appreciate my time here and I think a lot of people don’t understand that Liberty is a pretty cool place. I’m just happy I had 27 years.”