Love

I love my parents, I love my friends, I love my pets, and I love my life. With out the love and support of my parents I don't think I would have made it to graduation. My friends get me through the days of boredom and we share great times. I love my two dogs and two cats. When ever I'm having a bad day I can always count on my pets to be there and love me. Going off to college and leaving all of the people and pets I love behind will be one of the hardest things I've ever had to do. It will be one of the strangest things. My family and friends have always been a moments notice away and they no longer will be. For most of the people (and pets) I love it will be a twelve hour car ride away. 

Gratitude

There's never enough words to describe the gratitude I have for my parents, teachers, and friends. They have all helped me so much to grow and shape me into the person I am today. They are the people who guided me in my times of need. The people who are always there for me. The people who I don't always deserve but stand by me through it all. I'm thankful for all they did for me and the experiences I shared with them. I can be a lot sometimes and it's nice to know there's people out there who are happy to be by my side. So thank you everyone!

Motivation

I'm not quite sure what it is but I've always been motivated to do great. I learn things quickly and accelerate fast. I do great in new situations. In all of my jobs my boss's love me and I quickly become a realiable worker. In my current job I became one of only 10 trainers in my field for he company and I had been working there the least amount of time. What motivates me the most is wanting to be the best and I'm impatient. I have a need to find the quickest most efficient way possible to do something, and that's what drives me. It's what's gonna help in college and I can't wait to see what's in store!

Education

All through out middle school and freshman year I made it my person goal to do the best in school I could possibly could. After freshman year I was top 7% of my class. Sophomore year I tried a little less, consequently my grades reflected that, and I dropped out of the top 10%. I chose to focus more on building relationships and making new friends. Junior year I realized that I messed up in not trying as hard in school and began to focus more on it, as well as maintaining my new found friends. I got very close to getting back in the top 10%, in fact I was just outside the top ten. No worries though, senior year I had the friends and was still working on school, while still trying to enjoy the "ideal" laid back senior year. In the end you could say it all worked out. I had the friends and I had the grades. I made it back in the top 10%. I'll be graduating with four academic merit cords, four green cords, 3 UIL medals, teacher recognition medal, and a national honors society stole. 

My fellow producers and I at the senior awards ceremony. 

Some of my awards (disregard the trophies) to wear at graduation

Faith/Values/Morals

All through out high school my parents have taught me the right thing to do and the my faith has helped me in that process. Every year I volunteered over the summer with my church as a camp counselor. I was a mentor and leader to middle schoolers who attended the camp. As a camp counselor I had to act as leader for the kids and be someone for them to look up to. My church helped me through the hard times and helped shaped the man I came to be through out my four years of high school. Thanks to my parents and my faith I've been blessed with the tools to help me get through all of the challenging and great times coming forward. 

Fellow counselor and I setting up camp

Fitness

High school changed me in a lot of ways one of which was fitness. Believe it or not I wasn't always the person I am now. I used to be a little chubster. It wasn't until junior year that I finally started to be healthier. Freshman and sophomore year I wasn't very healthy. I didn't work out much and ate terribly. Then junior year I started to work out and eat better. I did my best to get at least three work outs in a week. I started using the lifetime memebership that used to just idlely around and changed my diet. I look forward to continuing my health lifestyle in college. Mizzou has a state of the art fitness center that I can't wait to put to use!

Family

My brother, sister, and I in Hawaii when we were all little (very little) 

My family has always been there for me. And when I say always I mean ALWAYS. It doesn't matter how times I mess up my family has always been there to support and love me. My parents have done so much for me, sometimes too much. They have only ever wanted the best for me, and they do their best to make sure I have that. My brother and sister while we fight like all siblings do, we always have a great time and make each other laugh. If not for my family I would be a completely different person. They have taught me how to be a well mannered young man who will go on to achieve great things. I love my family and don't know where I'd be with out them. 

Friends

Grant, Link, and me at prom 

Zach and me in Lake Tahoe on a ski trip

With out my friends I don't think I would have made it through high school. My friends are the people who made the days bearable and weekends fun. Being a social person, my friends played a big role in my high school experience. Graduating high school and going off to college, will probably be one of the most difficult things to do. I plan to stay in touch and remain great friends with as many people as possible. I already have trips planned with friends so I'll be sure to stay in touch. Tomorrow I will be attending my elementary school grad breakfast which will be really neat to see all of my classmates all grown up and see how many of my old teachers are still there. An exciting thing to look forward too is going off to college and meeting all new people and expanding my group of friends! 

Fun

I spent my time doing adventurous things. Yes, I still had those days where all I did was curl up in bed and watch netflix or play video games, but for the most part I loved to go on drives or visit fun places. Just last month I took a trip and drove about two hours away to go on a safari trip with my friends. The place was so cool I got to drive my car through a make shift outback and feed all sorts of animals. Most times it would just be taking a drive with friends and finding things todo that we wouldn't normally be able to find. That way usually ended up in finding some really awesome hole in the wall places to eat. I can assure you I will definitely being do that sort of thing when I go off to college in the fall. I'm sure there are going to be some great places to discover in the town of Columbia in Missouri!

Cool road on trip to see firework show

Friends and me on a trip to a safari park

Lasting Legacy

Graduation brings about so many emotions. It feels great to FINALLY be done with high school and be moving on to bigger and better things, while at the same time it is really sad. The enviornment and people I have grown accustomed to will all be changing. It made me wonder what legacy I'll be leaving behind, and while there is no way to know for sure I only hope it is one that is good. I hope that people will remember me and think of MHS1 ,or the good times enjoyed in class mingling when we should have been doing work, or the things I accomplished and over came. When I look back on high school all I hope is that people will have a positive memory of me and wish the best and can't even begin to imagine the places I'll go and the things I'll accomplish. The amount i changed and grew up in the past four years is astonishing. Even if I had the option to do it all over again, I wouldn't change a thing. Everything that happened to me and the things I experienced shaped me in to the person I am today, and there isn't anything I would want to change about that. 

Sopohmore Year MHS1 

Senior Year MHS1