Economics Spotlighted Student: Ben Graham '24
Ben’s thesis investigates whether the construction of Amazon Warehouses and subsequent increase in the wages of low-education workers leads to a change in High School completion rates and Community College enrollment.
After wrapping up a Haverford College campus tour, and literally during his drive home to Greensburg, PA, Ben Graham ’24 submitted his admissions application. Ben has always had a penchant for academics and learning, so he was looking for an educational environment that would be challenging. He wanted a collaborative climate, with peers who had similar goals and passions– and he found it at Haverford.
Early on Ben knew he would major in economics. With a zeal for mathematics, he welcomes economics’ use of math, its critical-thinking component and its real-world applications. He thoroughly enjoyed Prof. David Owens’ Analytical Methods for Economics, as well as Prof. Michael Levere’s elective, Inequality and Public Policy. Additionally, Prof. Giri Parameswaran’s Advanced Econometrics and Advanced Microeconomics indulged Ben’s appetite for complex mathematical applications in economics.
After taking two of Prof. Shannon Mudd’s classes, Microfinance, and Impact Investing, Ben joined MI3 (Microfinance and Impact Investing Initiative) for a summer internship. This experience gave Ben the opportunity to partner with Shannon in working with CEO’s who were overseeing early-stage social enterprises. While working on these initiatives, he was tasked with modeling the social and environmental impact of products by pairing third party research with financial projections. Prof. Mudd and Ben have since been collaborating on research regarding the impact of COVID-19, school closures, and counselors on college and FAFSA applications among Pennsylvania high school seniors.
For his economics thesis, Ben points out that “Amazon is known for expanding rapidly and offering wages and benefits in the low-skill labor market well above similar firms. As a result, other firms often have to increase their wages to remain competitive. This has a particularly striking effect on the opportunity cost and returns to a high school and community college education.” Ben’s thesis “investigates whether the construction of Amazon Warehouses and subsequent increase in the wages of low-education workers leads to a change in High School completion rates and Community College enrollment.”
Ben will matriculate with majors in economics and mathematics, and a minor in philosophy. Additionally, he is leader of the Haverford Christian Fellowship. He and his wife are moving to Washington, DC shortly after graduation. He has accepted a position with the Brookings Institute as a Pre-Doctorate Research Assistant in Economics Study at their Center on Health Policy. Congratulations Ben! After completing this two-year program he has plans of pursuing a doctorate in economics. He hopes to research labor, education, health, poverty and inequality.
