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I have lived in many places throughout my life - Waukon, Iowa; Caro,
Michigan; Pensacola, Florida; Phoenix, Arizona; Wilmington, North
Carolina; and even four years in beautiful San Jose in Costa Rica.
Although I have lived in many wonderful places, none of these locales
match the beauty of the mountains here in Knoxville. Knoxville is
truly where I call home.
Most of my elementary
and high school life was spent in Michigan, where I attend a small
school called Juniata Christian School. I was very active in my
school playing soccer, playing tuba in the band, and singing in
the school choir. As my senior year approached, I realized that
as I chose a college to attend that my parents would not be able
to contribute much to my college education. Being a Christian school
band director, my father made just enough to provide for the family;
but when it came to my college education, he let me know that I
needed to start saving. I began working at a local Dairy Queen and
saved as much as I could for my education.
In 1995, I began
college at Pensacola Christian College in Pensacola, Florida. I
studied in the fields of Math Education and Science Education. While
taking a full load of classes, I worked 20-30 hours per week. I
was very involved in college life playing soccer, playing in the
orchestra, and being president of my collegian, Delta Psi Delta.
In my junior year, I met my beautiful wife Shelley. We got married
after her graduation in December 1999. We moved to Florida, and
I finished my Bachelor of Science degrees in Math Education and
Science Education with a Bible minor. With hard work and determination,
I graduated with honors and with no financial debts. I stayed at
Pensacola and went for my Masters of Science in Educational Administration.
In 2001, my
wife and I moved to Wilmington, North Carolina and began teaching
at Wilmington Christian Academy. I taught Algebra I, Algebra II,
Advanced Math, and Pre-Calculus. I also had the opportunity to coach
middle school boys soccer and girls softball. I loved working with
the students and helping them as they pursued their future goals.
In 2003, I had
the opportunity to begin my Doctoral work at the University of Tennessee,
so my wife I moved to Knoxville. As I looked for employment, I found
a position working part-time for Educational Talent Search. I enjoyed
the opportunities to work with students who needed help getting
information about college and financial aid. When the position for
Associate Director of AEUB opened, I applied and was fortunate enough
to get the job.
As Associate
Director, I strive to center this program on making it valuable
to the students by providing services which meets their needs and
engages them at their level. I am excited about the future of the
Academic Enrichment Upward Bound program as we continue to assist
students in achieving their future aspirations.
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