When I was starting high school, I would say that Faith did not shape my life the way it does today. I grew up in a Christian family just like a lot of people out there except I went to Christian school from 1st to 5th grade and then move the public school. At public school obviously you weren’t allowed to learn about your Christian faith like you can’t at private school and I’d honestly say that that made my relationship with God hard. in my ninth grade year, I moved to Kings Ridge Christian school and faith honestly was still just something that I knew about but really never was in. In my sophomore year is whenever I realize that faith was something that I wanted to take a lot more serious realizing how important it is. I lost my grandfather in Hungary and it honestly took me down as far as I’ve ever been. I realize that there was no one I could turn to on this earth or something I could not be on my own, and that is when I had my first real encounter of Christ. Ever since sophomore year I’ve been digging into my faith and letting God take control of everything knowing that he has a plan for me even if it’s something I can’t see yet. Faith has impacted me so much to the fact that I’m going to a Christian college, not only to play baseball, but to further my relationship with Christ. My parents has also pushed me to pursue higher education because they want the best for me, but not only have they pushed for higher education for me. They’ve also pushed for a better relationship with God and helping me find my way with him. I would also say my friends has pushed me to pursue higher education and not in a bad way, but in a way that makes you want to wake up and be the best you can be. If I had to pick a word to describe me, I would say competitive, which is very similar in our entire friend group. Which is why I think we all push each other every day to be the best version of ourselves whether it’s growing in Christ and sports and school or even just a dumb little video game playing at night. My journey to Christ wasn't the easiest but I know that God always has a bigger plan for me even if I don't see it. I couldn't be anymore grateful for how I got their.

In my life the word that I would describe myself as is competitive which honestly I wouldn't say it's a bad thing. It doesn't matter what it is I am always going to be my best and try to win whatever it is. I think that can sometimes be bad because I can sometimes go so hard that I neglect some other things that might be important. Not just in the sports world but in the real word I think that the most important thing is being able to build good relationships. The quote " It doesn't matter what you know it matters who you know" is just an example of that very statement. It can get you jobs, money, or even completely different career options if you do it right. When I get competitive and try really hard it's really important for me to have good relationships with my friends so they know I still care about them. I obviously know that there is plenty of room for improvement for that skill as well. I also think that no matter what you can always improve that very thing. You can always meet or get to know someone high up and start building a very meaningful and useful relationship. For example, one of my friend's dad is pretty high up in Northside and he is always golfing with his clients. My friends and I have benefited from him greatly because he knows so many people that he can get us to stuff we would never of dream of before and it doesn't cost him or us anything because he knows people. This can even going with showing generosity and kindness. If you really do care about the relationship side of all of that then you can go talk to any and everyone. I find myself doing that all the time. I have friends who tell me that I could talk to a wall if I wanted to. I take that as a compliment because that means that if I have to talk to anyone I can. I like to go around school and be friends with everyone and not just because I'm trying to be cool or popular but because I want people to look at me and be like that guy is nice. I think it can be something to where you can make everyone around you feel so important and feel like they are being heard out. I know from first hand that not only can that make them happy and put a smile on their face but that can upright change their entire day or even year by just feeling known. That is why I think building relationships is so important.

When I was little I was always told help yourself before others. My dad works for Delta airlines and that was always on the safety video that they would play before taking off. I would be growing up and started to learn one of the best feelings you can have is making others people smile and be happy. It didn't take to long for me to start being the "funny" guy in the friend group after that. I would always do everything I could to make my friends laugh or smile and it didn't really matter what I would do. I was also someone who grew up as a Christian and wanted to obey what I was always told at church. I started to see that making my friends smile was fun but it wasn't always the most fulfilling. At one point during my freshman year my friends and I went to the YMCA to help watch the little kids while they had a "Parents Night Out" event. I realized on that day that helping people that you don't even know and putting a smile on their face not only was something that was told to me in church but honestly a lot more fulfilling in my soul. That was when we started doing that around 3 times a year as a friend group trying to reach our school statement to Know, Serve, and Believe. Those three words were something that stuck to me ever since I first heard those words. In the Sophomore year my friends mom found this organization called "Meals By Grace". They do a lot of giving food to the people who need it the most. They were having this event where we went to a church and truck showed up with a lot of food ready to give away. It wasn't cooked food though it was almost as if you went to a grocery store instead of cooked meals. When that happened I started seeing smiles all around me and that got so contagious. The people who helped volunteer were smiling and having a great time and the people who were receiving the food were even more happy. When we finish there I was in awe seeing how much we were able to do in such short time period and it wasn't just handing out food it was building relationships with everyone around you even if you have never met them. If someone where to ask me where I learn my compassionate ways from and where I show that I actually care I would tell them that exact story as well taking them along for the next event. In the time that I was there and after I learned that the volunteers and the people getting the food were so happy that they helped me just as much as I helped them.