I have many motivators in my life but the biggest one entered the world on August 15, 2021. I became a dad, a teen dad! I remember holding my baby girl for the first time and thinking this is the scariest but most rewarding thing I am going to ever going to experience. My daughter is my fuel, she accelerates my future and my goals. When I found out I was going to be a dad I was terrified but my family, friends, teachers and so many others supported me and I set my goals higher than ever! I knew I wanted to get a college degree to be able to support my daughter sooner than later. I was able to graduate from college with my general education certificate even before high school graduation. When I get frustrated I like to work out and lift weights. That goal was acquired from watching my dad as a young boy and wanting big muscles. My dads motivation fueled me into taking care of my body and clearing my mind in the gym! I have a goal of attending SUU this fall and getting my degree in electrical engineering and I am thankful I have a jumpstart on that!

The meaning of life is huge! The meaning of life to me is staying true to yourself. This world is a huge, beautiful place that has so much opportunity if you let it! Life means taking full pleasure of nature, health and family. Live your life, don't let someone else plan it for you! Set goals and reach them continually setting more, don't settle! Enjoy new things, adventures, food and people! Exercise and enjoy the body you were blessed with. Enjoy your family and spend time with them making lasting memories. Don't worry what everyone is doing on social media, you make your own story and make it a fairytale! The meaning of life is to move, explore, go on vacations and see the giant trees that reach for the sky. Enjoy the sounds of the rushing waves crashing on the rocks, let the breeze blow through your air and taste the saltwater on your lips. Enjoy this life you were blessed with by working hard to reach your goal and rewarding your self with the beauty of the world and taking a deep breathe!

I have had a job since the age of 14, I have had many different jobs and I have learned so much. When I finally get a Saturday off it isn't to go and play, there is always something to help someone with and learn a new trade. My dad is my best friend and I often think there is not a thing that man doesn't know how to do! He teaches me so much, we work on our own vehicles, do the electrical and roofing on the construction of our house. He has taught me how to use a chainsaw and be able to go out and do service for the community, cut firewood to keep our house warm. I have learned how to do epoxy on my brother in laws basement, help a neighbor pour concrete! We recently built a handicap ramp for my grandpa that had to have his leg amputated. The list goes on and on, my dad has taught me the skills I need to be able to help others and to have the knowledge to do that. My dad has always taught me not to be proud to help someone and to always put forth your best effort no matter what you may be doing.

The elderly are wise people that have faced some of the scariest and most troubling times. They want to feel important and be heard. They want to share their stories of their life so that we can learn from them. In our crazy world today we may be facing some of the things they were already faced with. They want to be there for us but cannot do all that they used to and may be more dependent on us and that is ok! I have helped some elderly in my community with some simple projects like cutting and trimming some trees after a storm, or going the extra mile at the lumber yard that I work at. Recently my Grandpa got a blood clot in his leg and had to have it amputated. I was sad and scared for him as he is so independent and strong. I knew this was going to crush him! I had my store that I work at donate some lumber and my dad, brother in law and I built him a handicap ramp and made his house wheelchair accessible even before he got home from the hospital. I want the elderly in my community to feel heard, even if it is just setting there so they're not alone!

I am proud to say I have a jump start on my future goals. I just recently graduated from Snow college with my certificate of completion before I graduated from high school! I sat that goal as a sophomore after I had a sport ending injury! My future goal is to attend SUU here in Utah this fall and finish with a degree in Electrical Engineering. I have a full time job and I am a dad. I will achieve my goals and prove to myself and my daughter that just because you are faced with some trials and tribulations in life that does not stop you, it makes you stronger! I will set an example for other youth that may be facing some road blocks in your life that it is ok, this is your life and you control it! When I graduated from Snow I said "The sky was never the limit" I mean that with my whole heart! I have so much support from my family, friends, fellow teachers and leaders in my community. Electrical Engineering will be hard but I know I can do it because when faced with hard challenges I have grit and that is what will get me through. I will have a education, a career I love, and be a great dad.

There are many motivational factors that I have had in my life. One was my knee injury, another was becoming a father. Becoming a dad motivated me to become a better person and pushes me to find a good career so I can take care of my daughter. However, the greatest motivation I have had in my life is my parents. My father has been a motivational factor in my life since I was a little boy. I would watch everything he did, always wanting to be just like him. He was there for me in everything, sports, schooling, anything you can name. He taught me the importance of working hard. I always would hear him say that whatever you put into something is what you are going to get out of it. He has taught me how to accomplish countless projects, and how to do the stuff that nobody else wants to do. Some of his famous sayings to me are, “Knuckle down and get it done” and “If you are going to sweep the floor, then be the best floor sweeper there is.” These sayings made me realize the importance of any job. It also motivated me to do the best I can at any task that I perform. My mother is possibly the greatest motivation I will ever receive. She will do countless things for anybody and will never ask for anything in return. She is the most selfless person I know and will always put herself last. She makes sure that I have stuff done on time, and is always getting me to do more than is needed. I used to resent her for this, but as I get older I realize that she is only doing it to better me. She pushes me to accomplish everything I start, even if finishing doesn’t make sense. She taught me that you should never quit something that you started or something that you said you were going to do. In this last year, she has been the person I have looked up to the most. She is with me every step of the way until I complete something. This is how I know that I will complete the future that is ahead of me.

Resilience is one of the many qualities that make me strive to work hard. Having challenges in life is a struggle for everybody. Some people will have an obstacle to face in their life and never get over it, they will stay stuck in the same place. Resilience is a huge factor that has helped me bounce back from an obstacle. It helps me to bend back into shape after every hit I have taken, and get me ready for another one. The challenges I have had in life have made me realize who I truly am, and the ability I have to overcome them. The two great challenges I have faced so far were a sport-ending injury and becoming a father. I got injured in my freshman year of football. At this point in my life sports were everything to me. After the injury, I was advised not to wrestle that year. At the end of the season, my knee was blown out again. I went to have my second surgery on it, and when I came out of the recovery room the doctor informed me that I would no longer be playing sports. I was heartbroken hearing that news, but I realize now how it opened other doors for me. I set a new goal to improve my education. I started to take college classes as a sophomore and strived to get the best grades that I could obtain. I have done so, taking more and more college classes as I went along. I have now almost completed my generals, and want to finish my degree in college. I became a father on August 15, 2021. Knowing that I was going to be a dad was a huge part of my life. Still being in high school, I didn’t expect that it would ever happen. It came with struggles of its own, like telling your parents for the first time. Nothing had prepared me for the day she actually arrived though. It was a life-changing experience, and I now know that I have to be somebody for her instead of myself. Challenges keep arising from having her, but no matter how hard they may be, I will come out on top because of what I have learned and the never-quit attitude that I have acquired. The traits that I have acquired are ones that will get me through whatever needs to be done. I will do anything in my power to not fail the challenges I am presented with. I have overcome some of the hardest things people are faced with in life, and I stick to them. I do not give up. There are many motivational factors that I have had in my life. One was my knee injury, another was becoming a father. Becoming a dad motivated me to become a better person and pushes me to find a good career so I can take care of my daughter. However, the greatest motivation I have had in my life is my parents. My father has been a motivational factor in my life since I was a little boy. I would watch everything he did, always wanting to be just like him. He was there for me in everything, sports, schooling, anything you can name. He taught me the importance of working hard. I always would hear him say that whatever you put into something is what you are going to get out of it. He has taught me how to accomplish countless projects, and how to do the stuff that nobody else wants to do. Some of his famous sayings to me are, “Knuckle down and get it done” and “If you are going to sweep the floor, then be the best floor sweeper there is.” These sayings made me realize the importance of any job. It also motivated me to do the best I can at any task that I perform. My mother is possibly the greatest motivation I will ever receive. She will do countless things for anybody and will never ask for anything in return. She is the most selfless person I know and will always put herself last. She makes sure that I have stuff done on time, and is always getting me to do more than is needed. I used to resent her for this, but as I get older I realize that she is only doing it to better me. She pushes me to accomplish everything I start, even if finishing doesn’t make sense. She taught me that you should never quit something that you started or something that you said you were going to do. In this last year, she has been the person I have looked up to the most. She is with me every step of the way until I complete something. This is how I know that I will complete the future that is ahead of me.

Resilience is one of the many qualities that make me strive to work hard. Resilience is a huge factor that has helped me bounce back from an obstacle. It helps me to bend back into shape after every hit I have taken! The challenges I have had in life have made me realize who I truly am, and the ability I have to overcome them. The two great challenges I have faced so far were a sport-ending injury and becoming a father. I got injured in my freshman year of football. At this point in my life sports were everything to me. After the injury, I was advised not to wrestle that year. At the end of the season, my knee was blown out again. I went to have my second surgery on it, and when I came out of the recovery room the doctor informed me that I would no longer be playing sports. I was heartbroken hearing that news, but I realize now how it opened other doors for me. I set a new goal to improve my education. I started to take college classes as a sophomore and strived to get the best grades that I could obtain. I have done so, taking more and more college classes as I went along. I became a father on August 15, 2021. Knowing that I was going to be a dad was a huge part of my life. Still being in high school, I didn’t expect that it would ever happen. It came with struggles of its own, like telling your parents for the first time. Nothing had prepared me for the day she actually arrived though. It was a life-changing experience, and I now know that I have to be somebody for her instead of myself.

The most helpful piece of financial advice I have ever received is to ask yourself, do I really need this or do I want this? Sure it is ok to splurge every once in a while but you do not want your finances to get out of control, therefore you need to think about your wants and needs. With the extra money saved by thinking your spending through, that can go towards a payment that occurs interest. You can pay that off sooner and save money in the long run. Remember though it is natural when you have worked hard to be able to reward yourself! Sometimes it is a motivator to work harder to be able to buy something you have been wanting. That is ok as long as it is not continually. Saving some money and being financially set is where I want to be. It will make me happier and less stressed!

Taking the time daily to practice self care is important to me. During this busy and crazy time in our lives we sometimes forget that the way we treat ourselves is still important. Our body is a machine that needs self care too. Self care is important to relieve the daily stress I experience! How do I take care of myself? I have always had a great role model to set the stage for me. My dad has always been an avid weight lifter. He has taken me to the weight room with him for as long as I can remember. Some days I just wanted to sleep and do other things, but he pushed me and said I would feel better after going. Now that I am in high school, I am taking college classes and working too. The highlight of my day is to focus on me and go to the weight room. I can zone out, listen to my favorite music and improve my body. This is an activity that I have learned to love. I feel more confident, less stressed and I can do it anywhere that I decide to go to college. No matter what your self care is, just do it! Take the time for yourself, you deserve it!

My whole life I had always dreamed of being a Millard Eagle! A part of the teams that I had worked and went to practices since I could walk. In high school the feeling of being a part of a team is what I felt the next four years was all about. Little did I know that is not how it would turn out! It all started great playing under the Friday night lights, the whole town comes out to cheer on their Millard Eagles football team. I loved it, I enjoyed the hard practices and hanging out with my buddies celebrating after a great win! I was excited to know after the season ended, wrestling would start and then on to baseball, where I was the catcher. I had it all planned out! But a huge hit from a helmet to my knee changed everything! I ended up getting surgery on my right knee. My knee healed and I went on to wrestle and injured it again! I was glad our team took state that year! I went on to play baseball in pain the whole time. I had two other surgeries and knew my high school sports career was over. I was crushed! My dad is my main motivator and he told me to suck it up and start focusing on my academics. I started college classes as a sophomore and I have never stopped since. I am a great student and I overcame my insecurities of not being a part of a team all the time and instead became one of their biggest supporters from the sideline! We may face challenges in our life, but it is how we handle them in the end that matters!