At age 12, I got my first job building tents at the local swap meet. We would arrive at 6 am to unload and assemble the pipes and tarps needed for the stall which sold clothing, then disassemble everything at 3 pm. For our work, we would receive $20 per day.

This was my first taste of independence. It would also be the year that my siblings and I would enter into the foster care system. An experience that would be the catalyst to a series of events that would define my current mission in life.

In my younger years, I was accepted into the Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) program, eventually moving on to Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB). I dreamed of double majoring in music and pre-law. I played sports, at one time sang in 3 different choirs one school year, and participated in Academic Decathlon.