Having spent many years severely depressed and feeling broken and helpless it took me many years to realize how much joy giving to others can bring you. I'm a strong believer in being the Light you want to see in the world. When I look around in this world there is so much need in the world, so much hunger, health Issues and often we just walk right by those of us who are in need most of all. It's of my opinion that the more time you spend helping others, giving back, and volunteering the more peace you will feel and the more happiness you will cultivate in your own life. We are social creatures by nature which often makes us want to hide in the middle of the crowd not to stick out and be different. However, in this category, I believe we should all push to be different, to help more, to give more, and to not conform to the greedy nature of the current culture in America.

Over the years I have severely struggled with debilitating depression. Growing up with a broken and destructive home life I was never made to feel safe or chosen from a very young age. Coming out of high school and seeking purpose in life I decided to join the Army which in time I added PTSD to my already ill-functioning mental state. I'd gone to several therapists, tried medication however no matter what I tried I continued to feel helpless and stuck. Being a high achiever in every organization I was a part of I quickly became well versed and masking my depression and being the light in others' lives that I never felt was in mine. I soon came to realize the more positive impact I could make in others' lives the more positively it impacted my own. With years and years of hard work, volunteers, self-educating, as well as creating routines that built up my mind in a positive manner I have been able to put my depression and PTSD behind me. Though there were many hard years that I never felt I would get through I'm thankful for my struggle because now I have a story to share and regularly I get the opportunity to coach, mentor, and sometimes just be there for others who currently struggle in a similar way I did for all those years. My turnaround the story is one of redemption, a story of perseverance and determination to not accept the world I was unfairly thrust into at a very young age. No good thing is worth having come easy, which is good because life is rarely easy which means this life is worth having. I'm extremely proud of myself for healing from the unseen wounds I held onto for so many years.

The two investing tips that kind of coincide with one another that has helped me grow my investment account the most would be "Buy the Rumor and Sell the News". I found this to be very accurate towards the end of last year when DogeCoin was being pushed hard all across the internet and social media platforms. I was lucky enough to be able to get in when DogeCoin was still quite low and it was my first real attempt at investing. Another tip I've heard is to never do "Emotional Investing", these two are often symbiotic it's hard to stick to the first if you are allowing your emotions to control the decisions to buy or sell. There have been many times I've purchased crypto or stock at a good low price and when I felt I was at the top I sold. The important thing is every time I did that I left with more money than I had started with, however, there were several times that after selling I'd watch that same stock or crypto continues to rise. It would be easy to get caught in the emotions of that moment being upset I could have made even more, but the important part was that I had more money at the end than when I started. So to avoid emotional investing I would have a selling point predetermined that let me know when I needed to sell regardless of what happened after the sale. This method is inline with how to properly "Buy the Rumor and Sell the News"

There have been countless times where I was faced with very difficult situations that required much perseverance to get through. From getting through basic training, promoting up from l crew member to a General Manager, and starting my own marketing business, and learning what it means to be an entrepreneur, there is a long list of situations for me to pick from, each one I've pushed through has taught me something I have taken these lessons with me each day. Choosing one specific situation that challenged me and grew me more than ever expected had to be the 18-week training I went through to become an Infantryman, showing up at Fort Benning at nineteen years old weak minded and even weaker bodied, I was not prepared for what I was about to endure. Day 1 they call Shark Attack, was our introduction to what life was going to be like for the remainder of our time there and it was crazy intense. As the weeks went on they continued to push us well past our breaking points, thousands of push-ups, thousands of sit-ups, and miles and miles of running every day. Every time a recruit would start to give up on themselves the DS would point out that we can quit anytime, they could go take a rest get water and eat whatever they want all they had to say were those two words "I quit". Many times offer felt extremely tempting. However I volunteered for everything I was getting, and the harder it got and the more I pushed through the stronger I became both in body and mind. Without knowing each time we didn't give in we were that much closer to growing up and becoming professionals who know exactly how to persevere through anything thrown our way.

If I were currently a highly influential person most of my energy publically would go towards bringing people together. In today's day and age with all the different social media platforms and news channels, there is so much unnecessary division happening. it's like a wildfire that's grown too fast to put out and though there are thousands of people trying to help and bring positivity and cooperation it often feels like there are millions pushing negativity and division. In a world full of billionaires and politicians tweeting to create a news story, Id wants to use my public platform to bring people together and have honest non attacking conversations that everyone could get involved with. Creating inclusive education and understanding of the world around us will ultimately lead to more people getting involved and fewer people stirring at the pot from behind their computer screens. One way I plan on creating a more positive influence in the world and getting involved myself is my current pursuit toward my educational goal of becoming a doctor. Not only will I have the opportunity to work hands-on with my patients and help save lives or create a better quality of life but I will also get to mentor the resident doctors and help them become the best versions of themselves they can. Doing this will continue to create a more positive influence for others through the effort of those I get the opportunity to mentor. Ultimately if I were highly influential right now I would focus on the positive things we can change instead of the negative things we can not. I would accomplish that by creating a community of like-minded individuals because no one person can do it alone.

One experience I had that shaped me into the man I am today was my experience in the Army, specifically my near 18-week training which encapsulated Basic Training and Infantry School designed to turn the kids who showed up on day one into mature professionals who were proficient in their warrior tasks and drills. I've never experienced any training as effective and efficient as I did during those 18 weeks at Fort Benning. My expectation going in was that the physical nature of the training was going to be the most difficult part. I was wrong, the most difficult part of it all was the mental side of it. What started as a high level of stress slowly grew into discipline and confidence by the fifth and sixth week I could hardly recognize who I was in comparison to how I showed up on day one. The kid who showed up on day one was exactly still that a kid, by the time basic, was over and we transition into Infantry School the drill sergeants had done their jobs, they had turned us into men and soldiers. The experience I had there learning to work as a member of a highly skilled team, learn to make effective plans, learn to lead as well as follow, and maintain both physical and mental standards. Though I am no longer in the army I still embody many of the traits I learned during my training, I still bring professionalism, discipline, high standards, cooperation, and leadership, and many more into my future career and current education. By far my military training is one of the most influential experiences I've had that was formative to who I am today.

There are a lot of things I've done over the year to be a positive influence in other people's lives, I've volunteered to help those less fortunate with food delivery, building/providing beds, and sponsoring kids in third world countries to help them gain access to better education. However, those are simply actions I've taken in recent years. One of my favorite quotes on this subject is "Be the light you want to see in the world." Often when I'm making decisions that will ultimately lead to a positive impact for others I'm thinking of this quote. With all of the craziness and division we've seen in America over the past several years, it's easy to get caught up in the day to day, easy to get angry and upset, easy to blame others and disagree, and name-calling, however, the difficult part is to be kind to others regardless of their political affiliation, their cultural background, or anything else you may not see eye to eye on. My main goal is to continue to embody that quote, to continue to be the positive influence I'd like to see surrounding me in this world. It's not always an easy task but nothing worth having comes easy, and surely peace and kindness is worth having so I will continue to push myself to be kind to others no matter our differences and I hope that through my perseverance along the way I can begin to inspire others to do the same. There is no shortage of people who need help in this world and I am a strong believer that if we don't help anybody else will so I continue to keep that mindset and lookout for opportunities to help and to be kind where others may not be.

I have to say one of the traits I love most about myself, that will benefit me not only in my academics but also in moving forward throughout my entire career would be my ability to communicate with others. I've always been able to easily talk with people and I often become the friend everyone comes to when they're looking for advice or help. I'm always very appreciative of individuals who trust me enough to open up to me and to be able to give them quality advice that might help them in their current predicament. I love this most about myself because it's a natural part of my personality that I get to use regularly to help people feel seen and heard and to create an inviting culture no matter the environment I am in. One of my greatest strengths is reading others and using the psychology I've learned to help them better understand themselves and the struggle they may be in. It's something that I've always derived a tremendous amount of purpose from and ultimately was a deciding factor when I decided to pursue a career as a physician. There were many years when I was younger that I wouldn't have been able to truthfully say something I love about myself, but with years of hard work and focus towards creating a positive and abundant mindset, I can now say that this is one of my traits I love most about myself and feel blessed to be able to share this talent to help others around me now, and in my future as well.

Growing up in an unstable environment, as a child I was forced at a young age to raise myself and learned to be very independent. What I thought at the time was a rough roll of the dice for the start of my life I later learned was the greatest gift ever given to me. Around the time I hit high school, I started to notice I had a level of maturity that many of my classmates and friends did not, still not understanding how that was gonna serve me in the future I only felt resentment for not having what others had. However, after high school, I joined the Army, and that's when my mindset finally changed. I took inventory of my friend group and discovered I was much more independent than just about anyone in my age group at the time. I realized after my military training how much I appreciated just how independent I had become, when others were relying on their parents to help them make decisions and pay for things I was completely solo. Since then I've continued to push myself outside of my comfort zone and grown into a fully independent person. It's important for me to feel like I can accomplish a thing on my own. Having had a childhood filled with insecurity I relish in my ability to solve problems as they come up without feeling like I need to rely on anyone else. It's important to me that I can solve issues as they arise so that I can continue to push and achieve at the highest level possible for my life. I truly believe that without my level of independence I would never feel confident enough to get through my Undergrad, Med School, and become an Orthopedic Surgeon.

Turning 30 next month I have already been blessed to have plenty of opportunities to mentor those under me in several industries. Being a Veteran I was able to teach, train, and mentor other soldiers in my unit. As an E4/Specialist I was responsible for everyone who fell in under me E3 and below. It was my responsibility to teach them to master their weapons system, maintain their equipment, as well as their bodies and minds. Moving from the military I became a General Manager for several restaurants as a GM I was regularly tasked with Hiring, Scheduling, Training, and Managing the week in week out tasks to keep a restaurant maintaining high standards. In my 10+ years of mentoring people, I've learned just as much from those under me as they have from me, and I often would learn more about myself when getting to know my team than expected. I hope to continue to impact those around me and those who eventually fall under me in the most effective way possible. I want to not only be a catalyst to get them to the next level but also a guiding light for when they may start to go off course. Often one of the most important things a mentor can do is devote time to their team members as a whole as well as individually. As a Squad Leader and General Manager, I would always sit down with each of my team members once a month and give them the time to ask questions, feel heard, as well as discuss strengths and opportunities for improvement. My best mentors weren't just cheerleaders but also watched my back and kept me from making mistakes. I hope to be able to do the same for others as was done for me.

My dream life would be backed by a sense of higher purpose. I've chosen to pursue my lifelong dream of becoming a Surgeon. When I look to my future my dream life is full of unique challenges that will excite me and push me to grow into a more successful version of myself. I see myself waking up in a beautiful home with my wife and kids and pets (they're not here yet but will be in my dream life) getting to go into my job at a hospital where I am a Surgical Attending with 3-4 residence that I get to mentor on how to become the best surgeons they can. My work life will be full of obstacles and challenges but will be extremely rewarding and ultimately exactly what I need out of a job. I will be pushing toward promotion to Chief of Surgery and working alongside my mentors to make that happen. At the end of my long weeks, I'll be blessed to be able to spend quality time with my family whether that be going to an amusement park, Driving to the beach, or staying in and doing a fun project with the family. I will not take for granted the time I get with my family. In this life, I'm not only a provider and protector of my family and my own goals but I will be available to my children as a father, a friend, and a mentor. Ensuring I'm a proactive parent and not a reactive parent means setting them up for a life of success teaching them all the things I never knew instead of just buying them all the things I never had. My dream life is not perfect, but it will be a great life.

Since I was a young kid I've wanted to be a doctor, I had a rough upbringing so as I went into my high school years that dream started to fade into the background. At 19 I joined the Army National Guard as an Infantryman and was able to build confidence and discipline in a way I had never had before. Since leaving school, I've continued to self-educate using books and the internet, but I have always had that dream of becoming a doctor in the back of my mind. I've recently decided I'm going to chase that dream - using the skills and mindset I gained while in the military to go through the American University of Antiguas Pre-Med to Med school Program. This is an accredited university that has a 2-year Premed Bootcamp that feeds directly into their Nationally Accredited Medical School. I would then like to obtain a surgical residency at The Mayo Clinic In Scottsdale, Arizona. On the 17th of this month, I will be turning 30, I've spent the past 10 years in the workforce and the number one thing I've learned is life without a bigger purpose is hardly a life at all. My "why" is twofold, a big part of me wants to become a doctor because I've always wanted to be a doctor. However, my big "why", the "why" that's gonna get me out of bed every morning and work 80 hours a week is to get to see how I've helped people. As a surgeon, I'm going to get to be hands-on with saving my patients' lives, or reducing their pain so they can live a more fulfilled life. When I get to remove a tumor and give backtest results that tell someone they're cancer-free, that is my "why". Ultimately it's to feel like my life matters, like I'm making a difference in other people's lives, that is my "why". Growing up my Nana was in and out of hospitals all the time. I understand the stress, the fear, and even the burden an ill loved one can have on a family. My Nana had a lot of health issues and beat cancer several times in her life but ultimately, in the end, cancer won so I understand the pain that losing a loved one can bring. My goal to become a physician is to help aid in the fight, there is so much illness in the world and I want to do my part to help change it where I can. In the future I see myself being able to inspire others who come from a similar background as me, other veterans, other people who want to go back to school but think 30 is too late. My hope is through my efforts and persistence I can show others that there is a path and though it may be on the other side of hard work, it is very much still a possibility for them too. As a veteran who suffered from PTSD for many years I also have a Philanthropic goal to start an organization that's sole purpose is to help inspire and give purpose to other veterans or military members struggling with PTSD. I know with my skill set and desire to achieve this goal I will be able to make this all happen and will stop at nothing to see it through to the end. I'm excited to see where I'm at in 6 years and look forward to learning and growing through the road ahead as well as inspiring those around me.

One of the greatest lessons that I've learned that I wish I would have understood and stuck to when I was younger is proper budgeting. Learning how to properly create a budget and then maintaining the discipline needed to stick to that budget. The overall goal of creating a budget is to ensure you know exactly where your money is going. Recognizing that small unnecessary purchases will add up across the month and often leave you with no money when you need it. Being able to stick to a budget you set will help guarantee your every dollar has a name on it and has a specific place it belongs. Budgeting has allowed me to create savings, get all my needs met, and still have the money I want to be able to have some fun here and there. I wish I would have grown to appreciate the effectiveness of a budget earlier in life, however, I'm very pleased to be using this tactic now.

When I was 19 I left my hometown for Fort Benning Georgia to complete a near 18-week training program designed to turn young boys into men and turn those men into Infantrymen. What I didn't know at the time is I was already experiencing PTSD from the volatile upbringing my siblings and I had. I was always a leader amongst my peers but being a tall skinny guy, I lacked confidence. Though I could have chosen many jobs the army had available, I knew for me being in the military -serving my country meant being an Infantryman. I wanted the training, I wanted the confidence, I wanted the Pride. My father who also suffers from PTSD spent 16 years in the Arizona Army National Guard as a Horizontal Engineer. Following In his footsteps I also joined the Guard but as an 11C Indirect Fire Infantryman, I got everything I hoped for out of my training and then some. The difficulty came when I returned to Arizona, spending that long training to be a Professional Soldier left me prepared for war. Coming back, I got a full-time job at a restaurant and began going to school full time, as well as still keeping up with PT and still being accountable to my Guard Unit 1 weekend a month and 2 weeks in the Summertime. I had no drive for my education at the time and limited passion for my civilian job. I felt like a Fraud, having to turn on and turn off my military bearing and mask who I was on the civilian side because of how vastly different the jobs and the people were. Now, while most of my PTSD stems from childhood trauma, I began experiencing extreme culture shock which lead to depression that for many years I had just accepted and remained broken and lost. Since my initial crash, I've put a lot of work into myself and my mental health. My goal now is to get an undergraduate in pre-med and go on to med school where I can become an Orthopedic Surgeon. Years ago I wouldn't have believed I was gonna make it past 26, through my experience with PTSD, I've come to realize how warped my perception of time was when I was in a deep depression. I'm turning 30 this month I no longer fear time, I don't fear the 6-8 years of schooling or the 5 years of residency following that like I feared a day or a week when I was 23. It can be difficult to believe you'll make it through college when you don't want to make it through that day. If could impart anything onto somebody currently suffering from PTSD it would be to seek purpose, in the military, we are given so much purpose at a young age it's often difficult to find an equivalent to that on the civilian side. My philanthropic dream is to start an organization that's purpose is to help Veterans and Soldiers find purpose, not only in their day-to-day life but with long-term plans as well. For now, I plan to elevate my mind by obtaining an MD so I can begin to pull up any of my brothers and sisters who are suffering. I truly hope that my perseverance towards a noble goal can be an inspiration to others that share in this struggle. One of my favorite lines from the Soldier Creed is "I will never leave a fallen comrade", I hope that other soldiers who are capable and ready will remember this and join in the fight against PTSD.