Where it all Began...

At the age of 20 I have accomplished so much but I have to credit it to where it all started. My parents have been there for me since day one, at a young age they got a divorce and even then they put aside their differences and did everything for my little sister and I. Once they each remarried even my step parents got along which made it so much easier on me, I really lucked out and the last thing I want to do is disappoint them.

I graduated high school in 2016 in a small town here in Michigan where I met some of my best friends, one of them continued her college career with me. Going back in time to the sixth grade however, one of my best friends told me about a college he went to, my Pa had played a big role in the University I decided to attend. Me being the planner I am I started to look into colleges as something to act as motivation and ever since the sixth grade I have had a voice saying, "Choose Ferris, the campus is small!" or "Follow your good looking grandpas' tracks, you can be a bulldog through and through!" this voice had always been in the back of my mind and come my junior year of high school I had applied to three different universities in state. I received my final acceptance letter to my first choice school on the first day of my senior year of high school and I took it as a sign.

Ferris State University has been the right choice for me ever since and I was too excited to share the news with my Pa, that I had decided to continue my education at Ferris as a student in the College of Business. I had picked up my second major and was on track to graduate within four years; with two degrees. These two degrees include Hospitality Management and Digital Marketing and my ultimate goal was to make my Pa and parents proud.

I have been through a ton when I moved two hours away from home, that included losing my Great Grandma my freshman year, dropping out of honors to improve myself, attending multiple X Games as a student professional, and what hurt the most; losing my best friend. My Pa passed away the second year during finals week in the spring of 2018, it was one of the hardest things to deal with. I told him the last day I saw him that I was going to make him proud and he responded with "You already do, kid." That has been my motivation from this point on, I do it to make him and the rest of my family proud.

I am going into my fourth year at Ferris State completing two Bachelor's degrees and searching for a career out west to fulfill my dreams. Adding on to my 196 hours of community service, acting as the first student on the Committee of Inclusions within the College of Business, and serving on the executive board for Ferris States' Chapter of the American Marketing Association I am excited to see what this year has for me.

UPDATE: 2/20/2022

I did it.

I moved out west, lived in California and Colorado. Moving home within the next month has given me time to reflect on what I have learned, how I had grown, and how I chose to continue educating myself in the industry.

Life is good.

This one's for you, Pa. I love and miss you terribly.