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I don't have the best memory of my earlier childhood, but I do remember being a pretty happy kid. I loved school, and I had a handful of friends who lived on the same street. We spent a lot of time outside playing!

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Fast forward a couple years, and my parents separated. My mom turned to drinking as a way to cope with being a single mother. I have strong memories of being in the vehicle with her, knowing that she was intoxicated, but not knowing exactly what was going on. These were the first moments I prayed to God.

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Fearing for my safety, my grandparents took me into their home. This was a drastic change from the hectic environment I had become accustomed to. To this day, I still consider my grandma to be my mom. She is a steadfast person, and a Godly woman.

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Milestone 4 - Great Memories (2001 - 2007) 

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Milestone 4 - Great Memories (2001 - 2007) 

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Despite all of the issues my biological mom was facing, this time period is something I look on fondly. Living in Whittier with my grandparents was easily one of the most formative times of my life. I learned a lot from them both,  and I developed many strong friendships at school and at church.

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Milestone 5  - My Future Stepdad (2007) 

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Milestone 5  - My Future Stepdad (2007) 

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At about this time, my mom met who would become my future step-dad. I didn't now know this then, but this moment shaped the entire trajectory of my life. He was a primary reason she made it through her lowest points. He would soon become my father figure.

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Fast forward about a year, and my first sister Maddy is born. My second sister Hannah would soon follow. This changed everything for me! Being a big brother became very important, and is one of the primary reasons why I would soon move to Hesperia to join this new family.

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When I was about to enter high school, I was given the opportunity to move to Hesperia to live with my mom, step-dad, and two sisters. It was a difficult choice leaving the life I had, but I felt as though it was something I needed to do.

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It was pretty rough starting high school in a brand new city with no friends. I lacked the community I previously had. I didn't have much to do outside of school, and my step-dad had a drum set in the garage. He played guitar, and there was an empty seat for a drummer. This was my first introduction to music! During the remainder of my high school years I pretty much lived to play music after school and on the weekends.

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Midway through high school my mom was diagnosed with cancer. This was a difficult time for my "new family." She would battle cancer for most of my sophomore and junior year. These were dark years for my family. Praise God she beat it!

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After graduating from Sultana High School in Hesperia, I ended up at APU for my undergrad. Here I met some of the closest friends I've ever had. I feel blessed to have shared this time and space with such incredible people.

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On account of being unable to drag my drum set to a small living space at APU, I decided to pick up a new instrument. This was my first time playing guitar with any sort of intention. This would shape my later experience as a musician. Guitar was and is my favorite form of expression. Writing songs is an important part of my life currently.

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Graduating APU was bittersweet. I was sad to part ways with many of my friends, but I was excited for everyone to move on with the next chapter in their lives. I graduated with a degree in Psychology, not really knowing where I wanted to go.

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The week I graduated APU, I was offered a job as an intern substance abuse counselor. This job was rewarding, and difficult. I observed more suffering that year than at any other time in my life. After about a year, the emotional toll of this job left me depressed and broken. I knew I needed a change, but I didn't know where to go.

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I was playing in a band at this time, and my bandmates had plans to move to L.A. in order to be closer to a music scene. I was soul searching after my previous job, and I felt a change in environment would be nice. Downtown L.A. was an awesome experience! I lived on Hope Street. After reflecting on the past, this seemed oddly fitting for that time in my life. After working various odd jobs, I found a job working in after-school programs. This would be my first time working in an educational setting!

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Milestone 15 - Teaching (2019 - Present) 

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Milestone 15 - Teaching (2019 - Present) 

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After working as an after-school coordinator, and a long-term substitute for a year and a half, I knew my future would be going in the direction of education. I applied a handful of places, and despite not having any formal schooling, I was offered a job at Cypress School of the Arts. They hired me because I had a passion for both art and music, and a love for kids. At my current position, I've been able to teach additional electives centered around songwriting and music producing.

On account of my job as a teacher, I applied to APU's grad program to complete my credential process for California. These last two years have been straight baptism by fire, but somehow, with God's help, I keep truckin'.