For the first 16 years of my life I lived in a deep rooted supportive community in Portland, Oregon, and on my 17th year I made a decision that would affect and change my life. During my sophomore year at Central Catholic High School I discovered a deep passion and desire to pursue the game of golf, and in doing so I came across an opportunity that not all are fortunate enough to have. As the idea grew into a thought that developed into reality I saw something happening that I could never of dreamed of before. All my life I had lived in the same state, the same city, the same neighborhood and in the same house until now. I was confronted with a choice to move out of my tightly knit community that had supported me all my life and progress into a big world of discovery and change. I was to move to the opposite side of the country to a place that was completely unfamiliar to my family and me. This whole opportunity came around so quick that we were flustered by the whole thing and made our move quickly to get acclimated as soon as we could.
Before I knew it I was in Sarasota, Florida soaking up the sun and living my new life that I had to earn and work for. The only way I was to be permitted to go to Florida to attend school was if I was to bring all my grades a full letter grade up, and so I did. In Florida I attended the David Ledbetter Golf Academy at IMG Academies playing golf and practicing my academics as a junior in high school. All my life I could never have imagined moving out of my house or neighborhood then to think that I was to move out of the state was outrageous. So as a new Floridian I was quite shy and consumed by my studies and athletics. As I became more comfortable I made my true progress towards becoming a successful adjusted student athlete in my new territory. Not until the end of the year could I really call it my home. It took a long while for me to get over the fact that I was no longer living in little Portland, Oregon and now in sunny Sarasota, Florida. On my first day at the academy I quickly discovered how well I was prepared by my private catholic school to adjust to any scenario that was presented to me. Also I found that compared to all the other countries represented at the academy, Americans were the minority. So I was thrown right into a new world of understanding my new foreign friends and the surroundings we were in. I was completely consumed by golf, school, golf, physical fitness, golf, and social building classes. I was given the opportunity of a lifetime to grow and mature like no other peer of mine had been offered.
The year was flying by faster than I could ever have anticipated and I loved every minute of it. As the year was coming to a close I came to a realization that I had changed into a young adult with goals and desires that would push me to do things I never could of seen me doing before. Now that the year was over it was time to come back home and come to peace with my old normal life in Portland, Oregon. It was better than ever! I came back as a celebrity that had not been seen in ages. It was so great to see all my great friends and get back into touch with the real me that I had lived with all my life. Now I was just an evolved better version with many more experiences and a new outlook on life. My immersion back into the community flowed smooth and I was right back into the swing of things before I knew it.
When I began my Chapman studies last year, I was an undeclared student. Therefore, to determine which field fit my interests, I enlisted in a wide range of courses; and through that process I came to discover my professional talents. I have recognized my drive for business marketing and passion for public relations. I am known by my advisors and peers to be very personable with strong ideas, opinions and the passion to pursue them, along with that, the desire and knowhow to bring diverse groups of people together. Just recently I took on a PR internship with a Southern California firm, Serrato+Co., owned by Chapman graduate Gabriel Serrato. It has been an amazing experience thus far working closely with him and other professionals in the PR field. In a half year I have already learned about the industry, tactics in creating true relationships, and the ethics involved. I know there is much more to learn but I am confident that through my internship and studying in the Dodge College that I will gain sharp knowledge of what I need to do to succeed. I am dedicated to pushing myself towards a career in PR and Marketing.
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