About

I’m a military brat who grew up in the era of 90’s cartoons, who loves gaming and tinkering with cars, and who always has his eye on tickets to the next big rock concert. Growing up as an only child on a busy Airforce Base, I learned to make good friends quickly and find creative ways to occupy those long summer days. My favorite memories include playing early PC games on the family computer, and later, modding V8 engines in the driveway with my dad.

One of the most rewarding experiences I had in my young adult life was during my last semester as an Undergrad at Rider University. I signed up for a class that promised no studying and no tests… sounded like such a relief after a tough course load! That’s when I discovered my love for helping those that need it. This course, called Minding Our Business, was a mentor-ship program that partners college students with adolescents in the area to teach critical thinking and teamwork skills. Paired with one of my classmates, this duo of twenty-something gaming nerds guided a team of ten inner-city 5th and 6th graders to bring a successful business from concept to reality. Not only did we have one of the highest profits of all groups involved in the program, but we ended the class with the highest re-enrollment rate – our whole team registered for the summer program starting just weeks later.  These kids thrived on the connections they made with us and with each other.

Fast forward a few years. It was a cold January morning in 2017. I packed my bags and drove half-way across the country for a once-in-a-lifetime chance with the FAA, leaving behind my family and a steady job of more than a decade. For the next three months, I studied to be an Air Traffic Controller, absorbing more than 2,000 pages of laws, regulations, and flight theory. I was consistently at the top of my class, edging out my peers that already had a head-start, whether from a trade school or prior job experience. Although I realized my life was going in a different direction by the end of the class, this time in Oklahoma City led me down the path of IT as a career, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.