- [Reporter] Meet Benjamin Wortham, a sophomore at James Clemens High School in Madison, who maintains a 3.7 GPA.

(gentle music) Benjamin demonstrates a strong commitment to his academic success, while simultaneously excelling in music, art, and theater.

Benjamin is a member of the competition marching band, the symphonic band, and the honor band.

These many achievements are all the more inspiring, knowing the adversity Ben has overcome.

When he was born, it was believed by doctors that he would not survive.

However, Ben defied all expectations.

Open about his condition, he encouraged his peers to ask questions about global cerebral atrophy and autism, fostering a more inclusive and accepting environment.

- When I think of the qualities that Ben has, it's that, it's first of all, his kindness.

He is one of the most caring individuals that I know of.

- Throughout my life, I have had to overcome many separate challenges ranging from motor skills I struggled with when I was young, I had to go to speech therapy for a pretty long time, I was there till eighth grade.

I had, I've always struggled with writing, writing's not my strong suit.

Other than that, I've just had to persevere and push through to get where I am today.

There's no reason to hesitate.

Don't wait for something to just come to you, you have to push forward.

You have to actually strive for what you want, instead of just waiting for it to happen, because there's no guarantees in life.

You never know what's gonna happen next.

- [Reporter] Benjamin Wortham is a testament to the power of the human spirit, and truly deserving candidate for recognition as a 2025 Alabama Public Television Young Hero.

To learn more about the 2025 APT Young Heroes, or nominate a Young Hero for 2026, visit aptv.org/heroes.