Benjamin Mark Sternick (born October 8, 1983 in Greenville, South Carolina) is an American soldier, writer, webmaster, rap artist, and semi-professional filmmaker. He is currently deployed to the Diyala province of Iraq.

Biography

Born in Greenville, South Carolina, Sternick is the second child in a family of six. The child of a military family, Sternick traveled extensively in his youth, which greatly influenced him and led to the themes of journeying present in many of his works. Driven to succeed, he graduated from Oak Park Christian High School at the age of 16 and immediately enrolled in a local technical school, pursuing a career in computer programming. In 2002, he graduated with honors from Greenville Technical College with an Associate's Degree in Computer Science, but felt unfulfilled in his chosen career. Soon after, he left his studies at Clemson University and enlisted in the US Army.

Army Career

Benjamin Sternick enlisted in the US Army in 2003 as a Korean linguist. In May of that year, he attended Basic Combat Training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina and graduated in June. In August, he began language studies at the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, California as part of his Advanced Individual Training. Sternick graduated the 63 week course in December 2004 and earned the International Language and Culture Foundation Award for excellence in language study. After completing advanced follow-on training at Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas he moved on to his first duty station at Fort Hood, Texas. He is currently deployed to Iraq with his unit.

Projects of Note

Stone Planet
A motion picture written and directed by Sternick, Stone Planet is still in pre-production. The epic film revolves around a crash landing on the eponymous planet and the marooned crew confronting creatures native to the planet. Seth Jamal Fortin, renowned for his work in such feature films as Sweet Home Alabama and We Were Soldiers<ref>[1635]</ref>, stars as the Stone King. Internet hype for this project has gained it a cult following, similar to the fervor surrounding Samuel L. Jackson's Snakes on a Plane.

Elemental Magic
A fantasy novel authored by Sternick and nearing completion, Elemental Magic follows the path of Jin Maben, a young mage of fire, as he travels throughout the fictional land of Imperios. Critics have responded favorably to advanced readings of the draft and numerous publishers, including Tor and Puffin, are expected to bid for rights.

Mad Mike & Big Ben
The rap duo of "Mad Mike" Beresheim and "Big Ben" Sternick formed in Louisiana in 2006. The run-away success of their hit, "Time to Get Crunk," was short lived due to their fans' demands for an album. Sternick was responsible for the lyrics as well as the choreography of the accompanying video.

References

Seth Jamal Fortin

The Presidio of Monterey

The Official Fansite of Stone Planet

Comprehensive Compilation of Sternick's Short Films