As a young man, I am now able to reflect on how growing up in Lacey has directed my life. Growing up with my two brothers, of whom I am in the middle, was a blast. From going to school to playing sports, my brothers were always around. We were heavily involved in sports from a young age, probably playing in every league you can think of. All of us, including myself, found love for wrestling and soccer. All the way through school, I played for Lacey Soccer and wrestled for Lacey Youth Wrestling. This taught me to work hard and set goals for myself. When I hit middle school and high school, sports really drove my days, always looking forward to practice or a match later that day. 
Being a part of a sports team in school gives you the ability to make a lot more friends and have a lot more time to spend having fun and getting better after school. Honestly, I couldn’t imagine high school without sports.   Although sports were a big part of my time at LTHS, the academics were always number one on my list. While at LTHS I was taking college level courses and trying to take as many high level classes I was able to. 
After my senior year at LTHS, I attended Ocean County College until I earned my Associates Degree in Business, then furthered my education at Stockton University for a Bachelor's Degree in Business Accounting. College was more of a job for me, as I was working to pay my way through school. Upon graduation, I put applications out to the New Jersey State Police and the Newark Fire Department.  Both of these careers have a very strict vetting process that can take years to get into. During the countless background investigations and interviews over the course of two years, I opened a small construction company and have been running a small business ever since.
Two years after opening my business, I was called by the NJ State Police and the Newark Fire Department at the same time.  After really sitting down and having to choose a career path, I decided to be a fireman in Newark. Entering the academy at 24 years old, I was the second youngest in the class and finished 2nd  overall in the class. After graduating this past October, you can either find me in the firehouse or on a construction site. If I didn’t have the coaches and teachers that Lacey gave me the opportunity to meet along the way,  I have no idea where I would be today.