Montague senior Ben Hayes accepts no limits, self-publishing a book in addition to other accomplishments

MONTAGUE — Montague senior Ben Hayes rejects labels.
Yes, he has autism and Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder. Yes, he has asthma. No, he's not going to let those things define him or limit what he does in this life.
To wit: Hayes won a Congressional Award gold medal in 2024, Congress's highest honor for civilian children, an award that requires 400 hours of community service, 200 hours of fitness work and 200 hours personal development. He's not only an Eagle Scout - a rank he achieved at age 13, much earlier than most do - but soon after earning that honor, he finished earning every single one of the 139 merit badges the Boy Scouts of America offer, which is a feat achieved by under half of one percent of all Scouts. This fall, he'll be headed to Penn State University-Altoona to study to become a train engineer - his greatest passion. And in January, he self-published a 97-page book sharing many of his experiences, called Living Through Autism. It's available now on Amazon.

This all seemed a very unlikely path for Hayes to walk when he was nonverbal up to age eight, according to an interview his mom Rebecca Denzer did with WZZM-TV in 2019. Bullied at school, Hayes' school experience was going so poorly Denzer transferred him from Whitehall to Montague.
There, Hayes found himself; he began speaking, joined the Scouts, and turned his love of Thomas the Tank Engine into a YouTube channel, benandthomas31, and a passion for trains that continues to this day. All the while, he said, he's been writing this book.
"It's been a long book," Denzer said. "He started it when we moved to Montague when he was in fifth grade. It's just a collection of everything he's been through, emotions and how he's dealt with every step of the way."
Denzer, who said she was told by others when he was young that Hayes "would never amount to anything," always had faith in her son to overcome the obstacles he was presented, but even she has been wowed by what he's accomplished over the years.
"As we filled out college applications, and he's getting accepted to all these schools, even direct admission - he's not even applying, they're asking - I'm just in awe because of all the work he's put in," Denzer said. "He never gave up, even when it was hard."
Never giving up and a hard-line focus on his goals are two of Hayes' core traits, said Chris Aebig. Aebig is active in running the Montague Youth Wrestling Club, through which he's known Hayes throughout middle school and high school.
"Ben has been the master of achieving things that some would label unachievable," Aebig said. "That's one thing about Ben, when he has that goal and that direction, he's going to do the best he can to get to that point."
Hayes' pursuit of trains as a career led him to PSU-Altoona, which says it offers the U.S.'s only bachelor's degree in rail transportation engineering that is accredited by ABET (formerly Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology). He said his original plan involved going to school in California, but financial considerations led to Pennsylvania instead.
"When we learned how expensive California is, we decided to try and find a different location," Hayes said. "Penn State is closer to Michigan, so my mom can see me sometimes when necessary."
Hayes' chosen career path isn't just because he loves trains, though; he views them as an important part of America's infrastructure, and he wants to help people. His willingness to put in elbow grease and do his part can be seen all the time, but one notable example comes in the winter, when he can often be found shoveling neighbors' driveways.
"I want to work on the railroad because working hard and working on locomotives is work most people don't do, but people need railroads, especially Amtrak," Hayes said. "I want to be helpful to other people, and also I want to do stuff to get better - better myself and better the planet."

Sports has helped Hayes
Hayes found an outlet for some of his determination and energy after moving to Montague, when he began playing football, running track and wrestling.
Football didn't ultimately stick - by high school he was playing soccer - but wrestling and track certainly did.
Hayes tirelessly works to get better at his sports. He often chooses to walk 3.5 miles each way from his Whitehall home to team practices as a way to get focused, and routinely puts in extra time beyond that to get better. While he's not a star athlete in terms of the results in competition, it's hard to argue Hayes hasn't done all he can to reach his athletic ceiling.

After years of putting in the work, Hayes finally got a true moment of glory at the Ravenna Invitational in January, pinning a North Muskegon opponent in his first-round match. He'd won matches by forfeit before, but that was the first time he'd ever defeated a varsity opponent.
"I was at the head table, and it was on mat two right in front of me and all of a sudden the crowd erupted, and I looked down, and it was Ben on top, so he had gotten a takedown in the first period," Aebig said; he often does public address for area wrestling tournaments and was working the Ravenna meet. "That drew my attention over there. The kid stood up and Ben was right back on the leg, took him down again, another three points, and I'm just like, 'Holy smokes. This is awesome.' We got to the second period, and I grabbed my phone...so I got premium video of his win."
Aebig said he was getting emotional after Hayes completed his pin, excitedly texting members of the Montague wrestling family to let them know what had happened.
"My first wrestling win, I didn't expect at all, but I played my cards correctly and (boom), a pin," Hayes succinctly described it.
It was through wrestling that Hayes met his now-fiancee, Jazmyne Tysko, who wrestled for Orchard View and is now on the women's team at Muskegon Community College. Tysko said they met at a 2024 meet when Hayes asked to take a photo with her, and after they later connected on Facebook, she asked him out - in German.
She later learned about Hayes' book, and after getting a chance to read it, seeing his thoughts on paper brought tears to her eyes.
"I don't know how to put it in words," Tysko said. "He's very accomplished. He's got the drive. He's got everything that I never (could have) expected. He definitely surprises me every day."
Hayes will not leave Montague holding school records, but there's no question he will leave an impact. Hayes not only never misses a varsity practice but also helps out the next generation. He's a common sight at the Montague youth club's practices, advising younger wrestlers on their moves.
"I'm going to miss him as much as we're going to miss the Fletcher Thommens of the world, the ones that are the high-achieving (with) 150 wins," Aebig said. "Ben, with the level of commitment and the attitude that he has, I'm going to miss him...in a very similar way. The attitude he carries, if you could have athletes have half the commitment and the ability to overcome adversity that Ben has shown for all his years in middle school and high school, I just think about how far we could go."