About Me
Being from Green Bay, Wisconsin, I am a huge Packers fan. I wasn't initially, but on the first day of first grade, after moving there from Texas, all the kids in my class asked me who my favorite player was, and, wanting to be cool, I pointed at a Got Milk cutout of Brett Favre. So, to this day I've stuck with my team.
Growing up, I used to watch all the games on TV, and would get super excited to hear the jets circling over my house before the flyover. Church would get done early before kickoff, and the sermons often had nods to how well (or poorly) the Packers did the previous week. I lived down the street from fan favorite wide receiver Jordy Nelson, and would see him out mowing his lawn on Saturdays. In my high school years, I even cooked for several visiting teams at the Hyatt Regency in town. I also played wide receiver in high school for the Bay Port Pirates, and wore Jordy's number 87 in tribute to him being my favorite.
Given that my life was so connected to football, I am a huge fan to this day. Though I don't get the whole game day experience living here in Menomonie, I still tune into the games every week, making sure to have work off. I also am extremely into fantasy football, and have three leagues, two of which I manage for my family and work respectively, and one with my friend group that I've been in for 8 years.
My Greatest Challenge
My greatest challenge occured after my high school graduation. I initially attended UW-Superior, pursuing a degree in Biology. However, I quickly realized that Biology was not a field I was passionate about, and rather than pushing through or changing my degree, I decided to drop out. After working at a gas station for a couple years, I decided that I was done wasting my potential, and knew I wanted to go back to school. However, Superior would not readmit me, citing a lack of motivation and effort with my previous attendance.
I was pretty depressed about this decision, and it didn't help that around this time, I also had a near-death experience with my Crohn's Disease, in which I suffered a perferated intestine. I had to undergo emergency reconstructive surgery, and battled sepsis in the ICU for four days. Following my release from the hospital, I also became extremely self-conscious about my body, as I lost 45 pounds in the ICU due to my elevated heart rate, and now weighed only 110 pounds.
However, I did not give up. Thanks to encouragement from my parents and a new appreciation for life, I started eating more healthily, and attending the gym regularly. I also continued my pursuit of education, and was able to secure a volunteer position through AmeriCorps VISTA at a pharmacy in Madison, Wisconsin. While I was paid only enough to cover my rent, I supplemented my income by DoorDashing on the weekends. Following my year of service, I was also awarded an educational stipend, which I used to pursue my newfound passion for digital marketing, which I did for the pharmacy during my service. I now attend Stout for that purpose, and am not only happier with my body, but with my future path as a Digital Marketer.
Places I Want to Go
- Abruzzo, Italy (where my father's family is from)
- Hamburg, Germany (where my mother's family is from)
- Hokkaido, Japan (to go skiing and try local foods)