Music inspires me. I find all sorts of music inspires me. Music speaks to me in a way nothing else can and it’s not always the lyrics of the song. Sometimes it's the piano, the electric guitar , the beat on the drums, or the sound and emotional quality of the vocalist. Other contributing factors are what I am feeling, am I happy, sad, angry or full of self loathing? One song in particular that inspires me is Bad Habits by Ed Sheeran. This song has a great upbeat feeling to it that pushes me forward and inspires me to work. The lyrics are good too, talking about bad habits that can get you down. This message is important to remember during finals. I feel a sense of acceptance for my own shortcomings and want to strive to make better habits. Self love and accepting of who I am in this moment let’s me embrace all that I am now. With this acceptance I feel free to move forward and grow, striving for more and pushing myself harder. This is my inspiration!

We live in the mountains, we have limited hours of sunshine. We have lots of snow in the winter and can get snow until Father’s Day so that doesn’t leave a lot of time to get a crop to grow and produce. We also have many wild animals which love to eat our produce. Another struggle that we have had to face is water. We have had a drought for the last few years so we have had to conserve our water. We had our well run dry and trucking in water is extremely expensive. We have persevered and pushed through all the obstacles because there is nothing better than fresh produce that you grew in your own backyard. We built a greenhouse and that extended our growing season and protects our produce from predators. We have set up pots with water trays under them to catch any extra water. We only water minimally and at night to reduce evaporation loss. We have fruit trees as well outside and learning about fertilizer and where to place certain trees so they are more shaded in early spring so they don’t bud too early and die off with the late frost or snow that we get has been a challenge. You can spend so much on buying everything new, but we don’t have that kind of money so we used old barrels and garbage cans that we drilled holes in the bottom for drainage. We have a compost pile and mix that with our horse manure and our dirt to make up a nutritious soil. We sometimes add some ash from our fireplace if we need a more alkaline soil. You can buy fertilizers and different nutrients. However, we have found our soil mixture to make the plants quite happy. I love all the wonderful produce that we get from our greenhouse and fruit trees. It is wonderful! We would go pick fresh tomatoes and basil from our greenhouse and eat tomato sandwiches on homemade bread with a little bit of mayonnaise for dinner that were amazing and deliciously juicy. Eating fresh foods is amazing for our body’s. I feel very strongly that each household should have their own garden and grow what they can. Individuals will be conservative with their resources and not be wasteful with water or the food they worked so hard to grow. I love growing my own food for me and my family, it really is very gratifying and once you have tasted homegrown produce you just can’t go back to store bought. Eating whole real food is amazing for your body and gives you more energy! When you give your body the nutrients it needs, you won’t get foggy and just feel better overall.

One of the ways I promote diversity and equality is in my workplace. I try to be inclusive, acknowledge differences, and value all diversity. I try to be equally inclusive so that people don’t feel excluded. I ask questions and make connections with people by conversation. I try to be an ally to those around me. I try to consider my actions and reactions, reconsider stereotypes that I may hold as well as my own bias. A close friend of mine is a huge diverse advocate. He and I often discuss how to better promote diversity and be inclusive. I often think about whose voices are and are not being represented. Because love is stronger than hate and conversation has the ability to break down bias and connect us with people. As a coworker not management I choose to bring diversity where I can, which is to be more loving and accepting of my coworkers, customers and patient’s in my everyday life.

I find it helpful when facing a problem to come at it from all different angles, then discuss which option is best. I find all sorts of creative solutions to things. I am a very passionate person and this passion is like a fire within me that burns for an outlet. Creativity flows from within these flames and when I find an outlet for this creativity it is usually very rewarding. I find creative solutions in cooking, when you don’t have all the ingredients for a recipe and don’t want to go to the store. Or if one member of your family is allergic to one of the main ingredients, I come up with a similar substitute. There are all sorts of reasons why people can’t do something but I like coming up with ways around why they can’t. Effectively making the impossible possible.“It always seems impossible until it’s done,” -Nelson Mandela.

We live in the mountains, we have limited hours of sunshine. We have lots of snow in the winter and can get snow until Father’s Day so that doesn’t leave a lot of time to get a crop to grow and produce. We also have many wild animals which love to eat our produce. Another struggle that we have had to face is water. We have had a drought for the last few years so we have had to conserve our water. We had our well run dry and trucking in water is extremely expensive. We have persevered and pushed through all the obstacles because there is nothing better than fresh produce that you grew in your own backyard. We built a greenhouse and that extended our growing season and protects our produce from predators. We have set up pots with water trays under them to catch any extra water. We only water minimally and at night to reduce evaporation loss. We have fruit trees as well outside and learning about fertilizer and where to place certain trees so they are more shaded in early spring so they don’t bud too early and die off with the late frost or snow that we get has been a challenge. You can spend so much on buying everything new, but we don’t have that kind of money so we used old barrels and garbage cans that we drilled holes in the bottom for drainage. We have a compost pile and mix that with our horse manure and our dirt to make up a nutritious soil. We sometimes add some ash from our fireplace if we need a more alkaline soil. You can buy fertilizers and different nutrients. However, we have found our soil mixture to make the plants quite happy. I love all the wonderful produce that we get from our greenhouse and fruit trees. It is wonderful! We would go pick fresh tomatoes and basil from our greenhouse and eat tomato sandwiches on homemade bread with a little bit of mayonnaise for dinner that were amazing and deliciously juicy. Eating fresh foods is amazing for our body’s. I feel very strongly that each household should have their own garden and grow what they can. Individuals will be conservative with their resources and not be wasteful with water or the food they worked so hard to grow. I love growing my own food for me and my family, it really is very gratifying and once you have tasted homegrown produce you just can’t go back to store bought.

Locally to help make a difference I am the president of a nonprofit sports arena called High County Sports Arena. I have coached hockey and ran skate nights as well as numerous other sporting events. Giving kids something fun and constructive to do keeps them out of trouble. Helping them learn to work together as a team helps unite and encourage them. The kids that come into the arena are oftentimes left with no parental supervision and guidance. They are lost and looking to fit somewhere. They are oftentimes so full of hate and cutting words for those around them because that’s all they have ever known. This breaks my heart. Loving these kids and showing them their worth changes them. They start giving love back instead of hate. I grew up in this sports arena and it helped shape me, and now as an adult I get to give back and help shape other youth.Helping shape the youth of my community can effect change throughout the country and the world. Change is a ripple effect, you never know what it will do. “I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.” – Mother Teresa. Change is a ripple effect you never know how far it goes. One small change can make a big difference. In conclusion when you take time to love on the youth of your community they learn to not spew hate. Teaching them how to be a teammate ultimately unites us as opposed to furthering the division of diversity in everything. United we stand. Divided we fall. These are the acts of service that I perform in my life to help others.

I practice self care by giving myself alone time just to decompress. I am an introvert and need to give myself alone time to rest. When I don’t take that time I get irritable and not myself. It’s like when you don’t get enough sleep because you think you have too much to do. However, because you are so tired everything takes so much longer than it should or you don’t get anything done at all, you just eat too much and feel awful. I give myself an hour or so of alone time in the evenings, this recharge gives me energy so I can be productive after. I also try to eat whole nutritious foods and I go for walks often. This keeps my body happy and healthy and relieves my stress too. Whenever I get too stressed I go for a walk and I feel better. For example at work I will go for a quick walk around the building on my break and feel refreshed and ready to tackle the rest of the day. Self care is very important, it is not selfish because if you don’t take care of yourself you have nothing to give either.

Friendship is a powerful bond of love and support that you chose. “Friendship means familiar and liking of each other's mind. People who are friends talk to each other and spend time together. They trust one another and also help each other when they are in trouble or are hurt. Friends are people that can be looked up to and trusted. Usually, friends have similar interests.”-Wikipedia I have a lifelong friend, we have been friends since grade school. We talk all the time. I know if I needed anything he would be there for me and I for him. Another friendship that is even closer and stronger is the one with my wife. She really is my best friend. There isn’t anything we don’t talk about and the depth of our bond just keeps getting deeper and stronger; it really is mind boggling how that happens. Friendship is chosen and nurtured, if left alone it will die out. You can have friendships that last for a season or a lifetime. I think it depends on how strong the bond is. I think friendship is a chosen support system that you build. The more support you need the bigger your net needs to be. Friendship is kinda like the family you choose.

Financial freedom for me is not being indebted to someone else. Being able to stand on your own feet financially. One of the biggest ways to achieve this is to live within your means. It does not matter how much you have, or how little. Staying within what you have is how you achieve financial freedom. One personal finance lesson that I find important is monthly accounting. Just writing down what your expenses are and what your income is per month gives you so much knowledge about your finances. If you are not happy about how much you spend, change it. If you don’t like your power bill being so much, be more mindful of leaving lights on. My power bill was approximately $600 dollars one month. We were more concessions of our usage and unplugged things while not in use and brought our bill down to approximately $100 dollars a month. Knowledge is power and knowing how much you spend per month gives you power to change or accept your situation. If finances are really tight you can do your accounting more frequently like once a week or daily. I can not believe the difference it makes just writing down your expenses and income. It’s simple accounting. You don’t need anything fancy or complicated because then you won’t do it. I tried different accounting apps and hated them all because they were too much work and didn’t make sense to me. Accounting gives you knowledge and knowledge can set you free financially . Now for me I would also like the financial freedom of not having to worry how I am going to pay for groceries and things not being so tight. There is freedom in being able to do what you want to do. Not being bound by your financial situation. There is also a freedom to not being in debt. There is a weight of debt that can be overwhelming and overlooked. “Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish,” -John Quincy Adams. Having a degree of higher education allows for a higher paying position. Giving you your time back, by not working for a minimum wage that keeps you working to the bone and barely scraping by. Financial freedom, there is a lot to unpack in that statement. It is not having to worry about your basic needs. Financial freedom is having the freedom to worry about other endeavors and luxuries. It is standing on your own feet financially, and having the freedom that comes with that.

What makes me happy is my family. I am so blessed to have the support of my family. There is strength, power, and friendship all rolled up into one powerful force to be reckoned with found in my family unit. My wife is my biggest support, I can fall apart on her and she will put me back together. She is also my best friend. My kids bring such joy and happiness to my life! They are also a huge motivational factor for me. I want to be all that I can be for them, so they will see how to be all that they can be too. For me happiness is a choice. Everyday I choose to be happy. I choose to focus on the good things in life, not the bad. I choose to find joy in my family and not let the little things irritate me. There is a wise story called The story of the two wolves. One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people. He said, “My son, the battle is between two wolves inside us all. One is evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.” “The other is good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith.” The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, “Which wolf wins?” ​The old Cherokee simply replied, “The one you feed.” I chose to feed my happiness and let my family fill me up. My family is what makes me happy!

Music inspires me. I find all sorts of music inspires me. Music speaks to me in a way nothing else can and it’s not always the lyrics of the song. Sometimes it's the piano, the electric guitar , the beat on the drums, or the sound and emotional quality of the vocalist. Other contributing factors are what I am feeling, am I happy, sad, angry or full of self loathing? One song in particular that inspires me is Bad Habits by Ed Sheeran. This song has a great upbeat feeling to it that pushes me forward and inspires me to work. The lyrics are good too, talking about bad habits that can get you down. I feel a sense of acceptance for my own shortcomings and want to strive to make better habits. Self love and accepting of who I am in this moment let’s me embrace all that I am now. With this acceptance I feel free to move forward and grow, striving for more and pushing myself harder. This is my inspiration!

The pandemic has affected my life greatly in many ways. My wife lost her job and income putting more of the financial burden on my shoulders. I was working as a Pharmacy technician and decided it was time to further my education and become a pharmacist. There is so much need right now and it has only become more apparent since the pandemic. We also welcomed our new baby girl to our family this last June and my wife has been enjoying her role as a new mother. She has been homeschooling our oldest daughter, keeping our preschooler occupied as well as taking care of a newborn. However, she couldn’t be happier with these new changes to our lives. Even though the pandemic put us in a financial hardship, without that push we might not have pursued more. Sometimes we get comfortable and that stops us from reaching for our goles! The pandemic gave us the extra push of being uncomfortable to push me forward for a better tomorrow.

Being patient is important to me because it takes away my stress and worries and gives me room to grow. Being patient is hard, we live in an instant gratification world. When we want something we want it now. But that is just not how most things worthwhile work. Losing weight takes time and patience because it is not an instant gratification kinda thing, and just look at how many people struggle with their weight. People are always looking for a short cut to success. However, oftentimes the steps taken pave the road for your success the short cut will leave you in the dirt. I was always told patience is a virtue growing up, but it wasn’t until I got older that I fully understood it. If you are not patient enough you won’t keep at something long enough to succeed. It has taken a lot of patience to attain my bachelors degree and even more patience to keep going for my doctorate degree. Without patience you will be wound so tightly that stress will overtake your life instead of achieving these goals. Patience is a virtue and the key to my success.

My great grandfather, who was a Doctor, had the mindset that it was a poor day if he did not learn something. Be hot or cold, not lukewarm! Growth is such an integral part of success. You grow by pushing yourself outside of your comfort zone and by doing. If you want to write, write. If you want to be a pharmacist, be in the pharmacy. I heard a story about a college photography professor who split his class in two. Half the class had the whole semester to find and take the perfect photo and that was their grade. The other half of the class were graded on the amount of photos they produced, not the quality. The first half of the class were so focused on how to produce the perfect photo they all produced mediocre photos. The second half of the class were out taking as many photos as they could and some of the photos they produced were astonishing! You grow by doing! Living life to the fullest. Experiencing the highest highs, and lowest lows. Don’t be afraid to fail, you will grow from your failures. Don’t be afraid to succeed either, you will grow from your successes as well. If you are not growing, are you even living? Stagnation is like pushing pause on your life. Fear not. I try to live my life to the fullest and grow from my experiences daily, whether they are good or bad.

Watching my mother in-laws' pain have no bounds in her treacherous cancer journey, tore me and my wife apart. Her prolonged struggle ended ultimately in her loss of life. I want to spare that pain for other families. God has given me a heart that breaks for the hurting, He has guided me to where I am today. In treating the whole person sometimes hopelessness causes soul searching that can lead us down unexpected paths. “Seek and you shall find”Matthew 7:7 look for what God is inspiring you to do. My mother-in-law was helped significantly through the use of an experimental drug to treat her cancer. God has inspired me to continue the study of that drug as well as others and bring them to development and distribution as a pharmacist. I want to go on to cure cancer. There was an image of the cancer in her brain and then reimaged after taking said drug was the same shape but nothing was there. Knowing that there is a drug that I have personally seen work is driving me forward in my academics to be able to do the further research and development of this drug. Change is a ripple effect, you never know what it will do. This is one way in which I am trying to have a positive impact on the world.“I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.” – Mother Teresa This last month my wife and I had a baby girl. I am now a husband and a father of three little girls. Also starting school, I have to cut back from full time work to part time work in order to devote enough time to my school load. With my family’s increase in financial need and my work hours cut, this scholarship would help me ease the financial burden of tuition without burdening my family more by putting us in debt.

The biggest problem facing the world right now in my opinion is division. People seem to have no empathy for their neighbors or even their friends. We are divided on every front. Politically, racially, and vaccinating or not. Those are just a few examples of division in our world right now. Some people want order and control while others fight against being controlled and ordered around. One simple solution to this problem is for everyone to have a little empathy for one another. Open up your heart and put yourself into your neighbors shoes. Have understanding for them even if their opinion differs from yours that they have their reasons. Agree to disagree. Have a little empathy. I just took an empathy test and I scored high, my wife also took the test and she scored below average. Women tend to score higher than men however, with me and my wife that wasn’t the case. We tend to think we are more empathetic than we actually are. That’s okay, we are not born empathetic. We have to work to acquire that skill, but we need to nurture it to fruition. We need to be united together, not divided. Division is tearing the world apart. Divided we fall, united we stand. We are so much weaker fighting amongst ourselves and susceptible to warfare. Change starts with you. “You cannot swim for new horizons until you have courage to lose sight of the shore.” - William Faulkner . Have a little courage to let go of prejudices. Show some more empathy for your neighbors. Simply put, learn to love your neighbor as yourself.

One change that I believe would make education better for future generations is continuing to offer and improve online opportunities for education. I think it takes less time because of travel and waiting around for other people. You get to spend your time focusing on your education rather than on all the traveling and parking and walking to class. It’s less expensive at least in gas and food expenses, but should be able to be offered at a more affordable price as well. You can offer something online to a lot more people then you can in a classroom. Also there should be less expense in utilities for college's not having to host on campus. Online education gives more flexibility in scheduling and works with your schedule. Allowing you to work and schedule your school work accordingly. Online education also gives you more time with your family and what is truly important. Even if you are watching an online class you can be next to your loved ones physically, and therefore more present for your family. I personally do this and find my relationships with my kids and wife have improved, as well as has given me comfort in my education endeavors to keep going when I feel overwhelmed. Family is the cornerstone of my life and gives me the strength to move forward. Online cultivates an environment for that cornerstone for both young and old. My wife is currently homeschooling our youngest daughter who is now in first grade and utilizing online science study. She is excelling in it and loves the program. I am enrolled in online school for my gratitude program and get to be home with my family more and find it way more doable then going to a fisical college campus. I think online education is a wonderful learning tool that should be utilized for all ages, kindergarten- graduate school. Younger ages need their families and home support as well as flexible scheduling just as much as father’s and graduate students. This change is what can make the future generations more successful at any age.

One thing that gives me hope for the future is that I am continuing my education and pursuing my dream. As long as people keep doing that tomorrow will continue to be better. I am back in school and pursuing my PhD in pharmacy. My dream is making a difference in the world, easing other people's suffering. Long term I want to combine my technological background and pharmacy knowledge to do research. My wife’s mother was helped significantly through the use of an experimental drug to treat her cancer. God has inspired me to continue the study of that drug as well as others to go on to cure cancer. Watching my mother in-laws' pain have no bounds in her treacherous cancer journey, tore me and my wife apart. Her prolonged struggle ended ultimately in her loss of life. I want to spare that pain for other families. God has given me a heart that breaks for the hurting,He has gilded me to where I am today. In treating the whole person sometimes hopelessness causes soul searching that can lead us down unexpected paths. “Seek and you shall find”Matthew 7:7 My dream is to make technological and pharmaceutical breakthroughs through research to ease people’s pain and improve quality of life. I am filled with hope for the future in the difference I can make. “I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.” – Mother Teresa. Change is a ripple effect you never know how far it goes. One small change can make a big difference. One person going after their dream to make the world a better place can inspire someone else to do the same and so on. This is what inspires hope in me that the future will be better.

One personal finance lesson that I find important is monthly accounting. Just writing down what your expenses are and what your income is per month gives you so much knowledge about your finances. If you are not happy about how much you spend, change it. If you don’t like your power bill being so much, be more mindful of leaving lights on. My power bill was approximately $600 dollars one month. We were more concessions of our usage and unplugged things while not in use and brought our bill down to approximately $100 dollars a month. Knowledge is power and knowing how much you spend per month gives you power to change or accept your situation. If finances are really tight you can do your accounting more frequently like once a week or daily. I can not believe the difference it makes just writing down your expenses and income. It’s simple accounting. You don’t need anything fancy or complicated because then you won’t do it. I tried different accounting apps and hated them all because they were too much work and didn’t make sense to me. Accounting gives you knowledge and knowledge can set you free financially .

One of my favorite scientific discoveries is RNA-sequencing because it gives us a deeper understanding of a cell and lets us see changes that may indicate genetic disorders. I have always loved biology and I am passionate about drug development. RNA sequencing is a sequencing technique that shows how much RNA is in a biological sample and changes in gene expression over time. RNA-sequencing shows us which genes are turned on in a cell and at what times. This deeper understanding of the biology of a cell lets us note the changes that might show a genetic disorder. Being able to see changes in a RNA sequence that should be turned off gives an opportunity for drug development to turn off or on a sequence of RNA that then could reverse a genetic disorder that otherwise there is no treatment for. RNA sequencing gives us a better understanding of the biology of cells which are the building blocks of our body’s. This is a fundamental knowledge that I am excited to see what truths we can unlock in the future.

I try to impact the world positively by continuing my education. I want to do research and development. “I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.” – Mother Teresa My wife’s mother was helped significantly through the use of an experimental drug to treat her cancer. I want to continue the study of that drug as well as others and bring them to development and distribution as a pharmacist. I want to go on to cure cancer. There was an image of the cancer in her brain and then reimaged after taking said drug was the same shape but nothing was there. Knowing that there is a drug that I have personally seen work is driving me forward in my academics to be able to do the further research and development of this drug. Change is a ripple effect, you never know what it will do. This is one way in which I am trying to have a positive impact on the world.

What inspired me to go back to school is my kids and my family. I was working as a pharmacy tech and quickly found my limitations. I wanted to be able to help others more through drug research, development and distribution. I could not do this as a pharmacy tech I needed to further my education. My Family encouraged me to pursue furthering my education even though it meant us all making sacrifices. I also wanted my kids to see me following my passions and teach my kids how to do the same, not settle.

My favorite piece of art is The Force Of Nature By Lorenzo Quinn. This piece speaks to me on so many levels. This person is fighting so hard to hold onto that ball. I have heard it described as Mother Nature trying to hold onto the earth. To me it represents such fierce determination to accomplish whatever it is you set out to achieve, no matter how impossible it may seem. Dig your heels in deep and pull with all your might because you can do it! I find this piece inspiring. Nothing is impossible. The ripples in the clock covering what I think is a woman show the cost to her. It almost has a water-like appearance like the ocean. The ocean is a force of nature all on its own. Nothing is free, be prepared to pay the price. If it were easy everyone would do it. Art can speak to different people in different ways and pull sutch emotions from us in ways sometimes you can’t even explain in words.

My dream life is making a difference in the world easing other people's suffering. Long term I want to combine my technological background and pharmacy knowledge to do research. My wife’s mother was helped significantly through the use of an experimental drug to treat her cancer. God has inspired me to continue the study of that drug as well as others to maybe go on to cure cancer. Watching my mother in-laws' pain have no bounds in her treacherous cancer journey, tore me and my wife apart. Her prolonged struggle ended ultimately in her loss of life. I want to spare that pain for other families. God has given me a heart that breaks for the hurting,He has gilded me to where I am today. In treating the whole person sometimes hopelessness causes soul searching that can lead us down unexpected paths. “Seek and you shall find”Matthew 7:7 My dream is to make technological and pharmaceutical breakthroughs through research to ease people’s pain and improve quality of life.

Satellite internet is a new technology that I am excited about. I live in the mountains and my neighbors are not close to me, which is great and peaceful. However, getting good internet access at my house is a pain. We are too far away from the hub for them to bring it down to our house even though our neighbors have the same internet provider we were trying for. So when satellite internet came out I jumped on the bandwagon. I signed up for Starlink, which is billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk's satellite broadband service. Starlink will be available worldwide in August, except apparently the North and South Poles. I have gotten to use my Starlink internet for a little while now and it is nice. It gives me internet at my house and I can use it even when we have power cuts (which has been more and more common here in California due to fires) by plugging it into my generator. This gives me the confidence to pursue my ambitions, like attending an online university. Starlink offers high-speed broadband internet service, which has over 1,800 low-orbit satellites that've been launched into space by SpaceX. These satellites talk to each other via lasers and allow for faster speeds giving a comparable to competitors like Comcast to rural areas. It does have its downsides like you can’t use zoom very well with it because it drops a lot. Also if you wanted to use it for gaming that doesn’t work either. Starlink satellite internet is also very expensive. However all that said Starlink satellite internet provides internet to areas that would otherwise not get internet and given time hopefully they can work out the remaining kinks.The potential Impact of having internet available worldwide is huge. All the advances in technology are thrilling and making our daily lives easier, it is wonderful.

“Generosity is a state of the heart, not of one's wallet” (unknown). In giving we receive, gratitude to me is infectious the more you get the more you give. Being selfless and giving whatever it is you have to give can effect change in ways you would have never predicted. It is so easy to be selfish in our world, people are just out for themselves because no one else is. The more we give of ourselves the more others will too. One small step at a time is how we make an impact. Like ripples in water start so small and get bigger and bigger you never know how far reaching that one action can affect. Be bold and give what you have generously, don't worry if you may need it in the future. Someone will hopefully pass generously back to you in the unknown need of the future. When my wife and I were just starting out together we had nothing. We were both in college trying to make something of ourselves but we were barely scraping by. It was painful. We signed up for our local food bank and we’re so grateful for that food even though the cereal was outdated and often stale. Throwbacks from the grocery stores meant everything to us when we had nothing. In conclusion, be generous and give of yourself and what you have even if it’s just a smile. You never truly know someone else’s need and how much the little you gave will affect them greatly. Gratitude pass it on. Proverbs 11:24-25 says, “One gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want. Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered.”

One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people. He said, “My son, the battle is between two wolves inside us all. One is evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.” “The other is good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith.” The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, “Which wolf wins?” ​The old Cherokee simply replied, “The one you feed.” This is a story that has stuck with me for a long time, I heard it when I was just a kid. Our thoughts affect so much of our reality. We feed what we want or our own fears. What we feed is what ultimately comes about. I love the imagery I get when I hear this story of two wolves growling in front of a campfire at night, one wolf is white and one is black. I imagine throwing a scrap of meat between them and feeling the tug war between them rage up. Sometimes I feel like I will never actually achieve my goals or why am I working so hard on something that isn’t going to work out anyway. However, when I start to go down that road I remind myself of this story, also if it were easy everyone would do it. The wisest thing I ever heard came in the form of a story. The story of the two wolves, which is about how important it is to manage your thoughts, feelings and actions. Understanding that you feed your wolves helped me understand that I have control over my own reality for better or worse.

What is the relationship between spirituality, science, and math? The relationship is by design. People think science disproves God. However, God created everything and is in everything. The more I advance in my studies the more these simple truths keep popping up. I am a Christian, but was not one until recently and I was very sceptical about religion in general. I have always been heavily into the sciences and mathematics. When I took a philosophy class in junior college that class for me pointed to a creator of some kind. Someone turned potential energy into kinetic energy. It didn't happen by itself. When I took physics there were so many laws and beauty in the way things work it speaks to intelligent design not random chaos. When you study the macro and the micro you see similarities and these things do not speak to the Big Bang theory. God put himself in everything “seek and you shall find” Matthew 7:7 “The more I study science, the more I believe in God.” ~Einstein. "Mere Christianity," by C.S. Lewis. In the book C.S. Lewis, who was an atheist until he was a grown man, talks about how people know right and wrong no matter their faith. There is a moral law they have inside them not taught to them and not something they can easily dismiss. This intrinsic feeling of right and wrong that is in all people is evidence of God. A survey reported in the journal Nature said 40 percent of biologists, physicists and mathematicians said they believed in God. "You will never understand what it means to be a human being through naturalistic observation," he said. "You won't understand why you are here and what the meaning is. Science has no power to address these questions -- and are they not the most important questions we ask ourselves?"Dr. Collins said in A Debate Over Darwin In conclusion people believe that science will disprove God but that is simply not true. The really great mathematicians , physicists , philosophers and scientists in general do believe in God. The relationship between spirituality, science, and math is by design. The design of an intellectual God who put evidence of himself throughout his creation. “Seek and you shall find '' Matthew 7:7 Scientists seek the truth and they find it whether they were looking for God or not. Some people refer to God as the truth.

My experiences have shaped my pro-life position in many ways. I am a father and after having a child and watching them grow and move on an ultrasound I realized even before the time my wife knew she was pregnant that the baby is alive and deserves protection. Life is so precious. Watching my mother in-laws' pain have no bounds in her treacherous cancer journey, tore me and my wife apart. Her prolonged struggle ended ultimately in her loss of life. I want to spare that pain for other families, by becoming a pharmacy drug research and distribution. God has given me a heart that breaks for the hurting, He has gilded me to where I am today. In treating the whole person sometimes hopelessness causes soul searching that can lead us down unexpected paths. Life no matter what the age is irreplaceable and a gift. I am a Christian and very much feel that God calls us to protect life especially those who cannot protect themselves. I am the president of a local nonprofit that offers a place for kids to play, learn and grow in a safe environment . Actions and activities that I take to promote the value and dignity of all human beings is I volunteer locally to coach hockey and have ran skate nights as well as numerous other sporting events. Giving kids something fun and constructive to do keeps them out of trouble. Helping them learn to work together as a team helps unite and encourage them. The kids that come into the arena are oftentimes left with no parental supervision and guidance. They are lost and looking to fit somewhere. They are oftentimes so full of hate and cutting words for those around them because that’s all they have ever known. This breaks my heart. Loving these kids and showing them their worth changes them. They start giving love back instead of hate. I grew up in this sports arena and it helped shape me, and now as an adult I get to give back and help shape other youth. Helping shape the youth of my community can effect change throughout the country and the world. Change is a ripple effect, you never know what it will do. Love changes people, I try to love those around me and hope that they then choose to love as well, not harden their hearts. If they choose love, they will love their unborn baby and protect it. When we love those around us we will stand up against unjust treatment of the elderly, friends or their unborn children. God calls us to love above all else. In conclusion I am very pro life and hope to share God's love and protect life especially the unborn but also peoples lives in general through medicine.

I admire George Washington, he was a military general and Founding Father of the United States. He was the first president of the United States. He helped establish the Constitution and a federal government for the United States. He was the first in a lot of ways and that is tough. Forging your own path can be daunting but worth the change you can effect. Be the change you want to see. Be bold and do the things that scare you. George Washington is an example of what a great mind can achieve. We should all strive to achieve what our own minds are capable of, the world would be a better place if we did. The world is in desperate need of our greatness now. My wife’s mother was helped significantly through the use of an experimental drug to treat her cancer. God has inspired me to continue the study of that drug as well as others to maybe go on to cure cancer. Watching my mother in-laws' pain have no bounds in her treacherous cancer journey, tore me and my wife apart. Her prolonged struggle ended ultimately in her loss of life. I want to spare that pain for other families. God has given me a heart that breaks for the hurting, He has gilded me to where I am today. In treating the whole person sometimes hopelessness causes soul searching that can lead us down unexpected paths. “Seek and you shall find”Matthew 7:7 look for what God is inspiring you to do.

I love reading, there are so many wonderful stories. I have read a lot of books but there are still so many more to read I can’t get enough. It’s hard to pick a favorite but I think I would have to say my favorite book is Born In Fire by K.F.Breene. In Born In Fire I love how strong the main heroine is. People ask what your favorite genre is, mystery, romance , comedy or fantasy? I think a great book has it all. Born In Fire is a fantasy sci fi book where the main characters are magical. The banter and funny wit can make or break a book for me when you are just in the head of the main character. I am a sucker for a good romance and this one does not disappoint. It also keeps you on your toes until the very end. It is well written and the story line was not one I could easily guess what was going to happen. For me a good book sticks with you long after you finish reading it. This one pops in my head at different moments in life and I am reminded of the story. That is how you know it’s a good book. The story also inspires me to be bold and push myself outside my comfort zone. In conclusion Born In Fire has all the elements of a good book: mystery, romance, comedy and fantasy. The story stays with you long after you have finished reading the book and it inspires you. Also last but not least, you just can’t put the book down once you start reading it!

I want to see less hate and division in my community, throughout the country, and even the world. Locally to help make a difference I am the president of a nonprofit sports arena called High County Sports Arena. I have coached hockey and ran skate nights as well as numerous other sporting events. Giving kids something fun and constructive to do keeps them out of trouble. Helping them learn to work together as a team helps unite and encourage them. The kids that come into the arena are oftentimes left with no parental supervision and guidance. They are lost and looking to fit somewhere. They are oftentimes so full of hate and cutting words for those around them because that’s all they have ever known. This breaks my heart. Loving these kids and showing them their worth changes them. They start giving love back instead of hate. I grew up in this sports arena and it helped shape me, and now as an adult I get to give back and help shape other youth.Helping shape the youth of my community can effect change throughout the country and the world. Change is a ripple effect, you never know what it will do. The world today is so full of hate and division we desperately need to change that. Watching the news will devastate you watching the rites and shootings. People are extremely cruel and uncaring when they are able to hide behind the enmity of being online. Even a pandemic which is the health and well-being of you and those around you has caused division and unrest in our world. Politics have always been divisive but have grown to a new level of refusing to coexist. Growing up there was a lot of anger and fighting in my house. The rink was a second home for me. I got to channel my anger into hockey and physical exercise. Learning how to unite with my teammates gave me a sense of belonging and responsibility. I am now a father of three and make sure to shower my own kids with love, belonging and teach them responsibilities to make them feel a part of our family unit. It’s more important than ever to make the world a better place and ensure a better tomorrow for our children. The family unit is the backbone of the country and when this unit falls to have a second family pick up the slack is needed to maintain a strong country. In conclusion when you take time to love on the youth of your community they learn to not spew hate. Teaching them how to be a teammate ultimately unites us as opposed to furthering the division of diversity in everything. This change on a small communal level can lead to a country being affected, which can lead to the entire world being less hateful towards each other as well as divided and cut down. United we stand. Divided we fall. This is the change I want to see in my community, the country, and the world.

"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." ~Joshua 1:9 This verse has always spoken deeply to me. It pushes me out of my comfort zone to do things that scare me. It reminds me to not give up just because its heard and not going my way. Lastly it reminds me that God is with me, therefor who can stand against me. So if the world is your oyster, what do you want? Go after it with all you have.

I have always loved biology and I want to make a difference in the world around me. I am currently working as a pharmacy tech where I have gotten to work closely with the head pharmacist He has taken me under his wing, like a father figure and encouraged me down the path of pharmacy. Short term I would like to accomplish creating a program for pharmacies to use to run more smoothly. Being a pharmacy tech I have gotten to personally see the need for a better system and have already updated my current pharmacies software to a better system, which is now being used in all five pharmacies owned by my employer. Long term I want to combine my technological background and pharmacy knowledge to do research. My wife’s mother was helped significantly though the use of an experimental drug to treat her cancer, I want to continue the study of that drug as well as others to maybe go on to cure cancer. Watching my mother in-laws pain have no bounds in her treacherous cancer journey, tore me and my wife apart. I want to ease that pain for other families.