Welcome andy,
Thank you for posting pictures with your question

, Not everybody does you know

..lol
IMO-You have a Ficus there, Most likely a F. Microcarpa but I am not so great at picking specific Ficus species [There are hundreds of them..lol]
Here are a few pages you should read to learn a bit about taking care of your new charge:
This guy LITERALLY wrote the book on Ficus bonsai:
https://www.bonsaihunk.us/index.html Surf everywhere around his site- you will like it.
https://www.bonsai4me.com/Basics.html You will find MANY of the links on this page useful and informative, Take special note of the articles on Soil & watering as these are important issues. [And I promise you that your tree would benefit from new soil-Judging by the pictures. Does that pot have a drainage hole at the bottom?]
Also check out the species guide in the links at the top of that page.
Here is a care sheet for your tree from the same site: https://www.bonsai4me.com/SpeciesGuide/Ficus.html
https://www.evergreengardenworks.com/articles.htm Plenty of excellent articles here also.
Do also check out these on site stickys about soil and repotting:
https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3422
https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3423
Take a look at this thread if you are seeking some ideas or inspiration from some beautiful bonsai {IMO

}: https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3343
Some photo tips for you [If more pictures are required] https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3557
As to your question about which plant to start with-- Well, That depends on many things, Your location
*, Where do you intend on growing it? [Indoors or out?] local availability ect... We need a bit more info about you and your interests [Flowering, Deciduous, Conifer, Evergreen, Tropical....]
As you can see it is not as straight forward of a question as it seems.
You may find this very interesting as it relates to getting the material to 'make your own' [Which IS the way to go IMO

]. https://www.evergreengardenworks.com/nurserys.htm
I hope this was helpful, Keep posting.
ynot
EDIT: I see your in Indiana...Oops
EDIT for Gnome: [url=https://www.mysmiley.net][img]https://www.mysmiley.net/imgs/smile/evilgrin/evilgrin0045.gif[/img][/url]
