When Ben Khodyrev was a sophomore in high school, he was considering calling school quits. He wasn’t doing that great and he thought maybe it just wasn’t in the cards.

But one day he was playing video games on his bed and his older brother invited him to go work out at the gym.

Khodyrev’s life took a 180. He really enjoyed working out with weights — the discipline and commitment it took to get his body in shape.

After months of hard work, he was lifting more than his brothers, he said.

In his junior year, he started playing football for the Columbia Falls football team. This year he was a starting defensive lineman.

Last weekend, he was only the second member of his family to graduate from high school.

“I think lifting (weights) was a big part of turning my life around,” he said. “It teaches you discipline.”

After school, he would go to Iron Fitness or Fuel Fitness gyms and work out. He got a job at Super 1 Foods and during summers and when he could, also helped out with his brothers and fathers with carpentry.

Khodyrev’s family has a pioneering spirit. His parents left Russia 20 years ago after the fall of the Soviet Union. Neither of his parents knew English when they arrived. His mom still speaks little English today — as such, Khodyrev is fluent in both English and Russian.

His father learned English, went to college and found work as a carpenter — many of Khodyrev’s family members work as carpenters and the building trades today. Those early years were difficult.

Ben Khodyrev is one of 10 children. Khodyrev worked through high school his last two years. Played football, lifted weights and got his grades up.

His favorite class? “Fitness for sport and

anatomy and physiology,” he said. “Those were the best classes I had in my four years at school.”

After graduation he plans on working with his brother, Tony, building homes.

Khodyrev said his favorite part of carpentry is the finish work — cabinetry and beams as such. He wants to build people’s dreams.

As the son of Russian immigrants, he noted that Russia had problems 20 years ago, which prompted his family to leave and with the war in Ukraine, things are worse today.

“I pray Ukraine gets the relief from the sorrow and death and rebuild their peace,” he said. “No one deserves to get attacked like that.”

His advice for students struggling in high school? Find a positive passion that requires discipline and commitment and keep working at it. The discipline helps you get through things you might not necessarily enjoy, but are necessary in life.

“You need discipline in life,” he said.