My name is Tim Calhoun. I am currently in school at Bethel School of Technology for Data Science. I am 43 years old and have two kids ages 15, and 12. I decided a few months back it was time for a career change, to better my family and show my children it is never too late to chase a dream. As I looked into computer sciences, I found that Data Science intrigued me. I am a very matter of fact person, "black and white" as some would say. I like analyzing the science and data behind a thing to make it work more efficiently. Effective, efficient performance is a passion for me. Once I finish with my schooling, I hope to get a job where I can really make a difference. Whether that be analyzing medical data or analyzing a golf club and its performance, my hope is to help improve and grow whatever area I work in. i love working with people and helping them improve their dreams and business'. I hope to get a variety of experience through different avenue's that need and use Data Science. I am a father and a husband. My family is my greatest passion and motivation in life. I have worked hard to be a sole provider for our family so my wife could be home raising our kids. When I decided it was time for a career change, my wife and I knew it would be a process of trusting the Lord to provide for the cost. We don't have the money for my schooling, but we are trusting and believing that I can finish this program without debt. I want to show my kids that hard work, faith and applying yourself can lead to success. I want them to see that it is possible to pursue your dreams any time in life. I work full time and then in the evening I do school, it is a lot. There are sacrifices being made daily by all of us, but my wife and I believe this will better our family and show our children how to believe in themselves, finish what they start, chase their dreams and trust in the Lord.

I grew up with a father who is extremely and intentionally generous. He looks for opportunity to give and is intentional when people talk, to listen for needs or just general likes so as to be a blessing. This is a character trait that I admire deeply and strive to mirror. Generosity to me is intentionality with people. Listening to others and being generous with my time and my resources. If I can give a gift or help others succeed, I want to do it, no questions asked. People need each other, so generosity is part of community. It goes beyond money and giving gifts. Generosity is time, it is hospitality and opening your home for a warm, home cooked meal (made by my wife, because she is an amazing cook) and conversation for the evening. Generosity is kindness, it is a cup of coffee and breakfast sandwich for the man outside the coffee shop who is in need. It is a conversation with a lonely elderly person when you're not in the mood to talk. Generosity is watching a movie I don't care for, just because my kids really want to watch it with me. Generosity is a bouquet of roses for my wife "just because". Generosity is a way of life. It is intentionality and a choice, and it makes for beautiful life and community.

"You become the people you hang out with and the books you read", a quote I heard when I was in college 20 years ago that has never left me. In essence you become what you surround yourself with. If you want to be successful surround yourself with successful people. If you want to have a solid family, surround yourself with people who prioritize family. Read and fill your mind with the things that hold value to you, not merely for entertainment. Community, whether we like it or not plays a pivotal role in the person we become. Who we choose to surround ourselves with on a regular basis, who we allow to speak into our life help to form us. If I surround myself with those who are defeated and have given up on life, I may be able to hold my own for a certain amount of time but soon enough the atmosphere of negativity surrounding me has an impact on me. Personally, as a man of faith I choose to surround myself with people and resources that encourage me in that. Those who can help me grow and I can help them. Those that speak life into my belief system and what it holds. A majority of what I listen to, watch, and read are resources that encourage my life goals and my faith. Ultimately in the workplace and in community we spend time with and co-exist with those who have different perspectives and life views. Those hold value as well, It is good to hear from all walks of life with an open mind. But at the end of the day my core group of people whom I surround myself with are like minded and encouraging to one another.

I am a family man, I am a father, I am a husband, I am a man of faith, I am a golfer, I am a hard worker. All of these things play a roll in the things that fuel my life. Faith and family are the foundation of the pyramid and everything else builds upon that. My children are 12, and 15. They are now at ages where I want to enjoy the time I have left with them in my home. So I am intentional to make time with them a priority. Bike rides, game or movie nights, wiffle ball in the backyard, family vacations, prayers over them. Everything I can do to build a relationship that grows as they grow, I do. My wife of 17 years is my world, she and I love to go out for a coffee, or a plate of nacho's and talk about life. We talk about our awesome kids, our life together, our hopes, dreams and goals for the future. We work hard to build a life together, one that honors and prioritizes one another and God. Those things make for a foundation that is unshakeable. Together our family loves to volunteer at our local church, host small groups and do outreach to our community. We believe in teaching our kids to give back to the program's that poured into them as young kids. Lastly in my spare time I love the game of golf. I can go to the course and I can play a round leaving behind the stress and cares of life. It is the space where I can clear my head. Life takes intentionality in many aspects. So in every space that "fuel's my life" holding importance, I am intentional.

"When life gives you lemon's, make lemonade". This is popular saying quoted by people going through a hard time who don't know how to respond to difficulty but want to remain optimistic. Here is the problem with that; words alone cannot change our perspective. Maybe I don't like lemonade! I think when we face tough situations it is easy to mask our pain through false optimism, like the lemonade quote. But real optimism is a choice of hope over defeat. My family has faced some incredibly difficult times and through it we were able to keep our peace and remain full of hope. How? Through Christ alone but also, it was a choice. We chose to hope, and we chose to look for life in the face of death. Back in 2015 my wife was diagnosed with stage 4 lymphoma and told there was about a 35% chance chemo would work and "IF" it worked, cancer would return within 5 years and be untreatable. We had a choice when we heard that diagnosis. We chose to put our hope in our miracle working God to see us through the most difficult year of our lives. Over 800 hours of chemo and a stem cell transplant were not a walk in the park for my wife, myself, or our two young children. There was a lot of pain, a lot of tears, a lot of uncertainty. But in the face of all of it we put our hope and "optimism" into the hands of God and watched a miracle unfold before our eyes. My wife is now 6 years cancer free. We all learned a lot during that season. How to keep our hopes up, how to not give up, and how to always look toward heaven.

I am a graduate from Oregon State University with a degree in agricultural science and I am a banker. At 43 years of age, I have come to realize that things never quite work out how you planned them. As kids we make grand, rather impractical plans for our future. Like being an astronaut and owning a mansion on mars with an alligator for a pet. Some of those grandiose plans are achievable, others not so much, but at some point, every kid changes their plans realizing things probably won't work out the way they thought. As a father of two kids ages 12 and 15 I am starting to think more about my hopes for the future beyond just raising small kids and providing for a family. That has left me deciding it is time for a career change. I recently applied and was accepted at Bethel School of Technology in the data science program. Once certified in data science I hope to use data analysis to improve many walks of life from the game of golf to the health industry. With that I hope to have more means of giving to charities and missions. I was raised by a father who is a giver and loves to bless others, giving back any way he can. Giving is a core value to me but in order to give on the level I want to, I have to be making more money. So, my goal is to enter this career field of data science, to love the work I do and give back through my career while also being capable to give to charities and missions. With a little thankfulness, giving and blessing we can all change the world around us for the better.

As a father of two kids ages 12 and 15 I have reached a season of my life where I am ready to start chasing some goals of mine. For the last 18 years I have worked in banking and most recently for one of the world's largest fintech companies. It has been a good career but as of recently I am thinking less about simply providing for and raising young children and more about my own goals and dreams for the next 30+ years. Over the last 6 months I have been dedicating much time and energy to goal setting and follow through on those goals. I am using it in all areas of my life small and large. Specifically, however I have started setting goals in my career and decided it was time for a career change. I recently applied and was accepted at Bethel School of Technology in the Data Science program. I am excited for the many opportunities learning this trade will open up for me. As an avid golfer I have always wanted to be able to use my career to somehow better the game of golf and find a way to help the average golfer. Data Science will allow me to get into the golf industry and hopefully use data analysis to improve the game, equipment, and over-all experience. At 43 years of age a career change feels overwhelming at times. Working a fulltime job all day to provide for my family and then doing school in the evenings is a sacrifice. But with great sacrifice comes great reward and I believe when all is said and done, when I have reached this goal, it will have been worth it all.

Gratitude and a thankful heart are core values to me. Gratitude shows other's you honor them, and it teaches your heart not to take things and people for granted. I was raised with gratefulness at the forefront of importance, and it has stuck with me. But it was the season of life after my youngest child was born where I would learn gratitude on a whole new level. In 2009 after the birth of our second child my wife went into total kidney failure. The next few years of our life would consist of raising two small children, my wife on dialysis and waiting for a kidney transplant. When after three years she finally did get a kidney, it did not take very well, and she had multiple rejection episodes. Those episodes caused need for high doses of anti-rejection medication. That medication would ultimately cause stage 4 Lymphoma just three years after her transplant. After extensive treatment and by the miraculous grace of God my wife is now cancer free for 5 years. That season of life was more difficult than I can say in words. It caused me so much uncertainty. I sat countless times next to my wife's hospital bed wondering if I would be left to raise two kids alone. I learned tremendous gratitude in that season of my life because I learned the deep value of life and time with loved ones. We don't know how much time we are given so we approach every moment with thankfulness. Gratitude and a thankful heart have been a huge part of becoming the man that I am. I pray that as I teach those same values to my children, they will impart gratitude into the world around them and someday, their own children.

I am 43-year-old father to two kids, a husband to my beautiful wife. Family and faith are my life passions but in my spare time I absolutely love to golf. Golf has been a passion of mine since high school. On the course I can relax, get outside, be active, clear my mind and relieve stress. I have always wanted to find a way to incorporate golf into my career, but as a career banker and working in financial institutions it just never happened. I have worked in the banking industry since 2000 and 5 years ago took a position working for one of the largest Fintech's in the world. I recently decided it was time for a change of career as a door opened for me at Bethel School of Technology. I am currently enrolled in their Data Science program. Ultimately, upon completion of this program, I would like to combine my love for golf and my Data Science training. Using big data, I hope to improve the game of golf, it's equipment and even help the casual weekend golfer better their game to find more enjoyment. Many would wonder why I am chasing a new career path at 43 years of age. But I would say to them; "One is never too old to chase his dreams." If I can improve the game of golf even in a small way, helping others to be able to get outside, get active, clear their mind, relax and relieve stress I absolutely want to do it.

I am brave because I am a Father. I am brave because I am a husband. I am brave because at 43 years of age as the sole provider of my family I have decided to go back to school and learn a trade in the Tech industry changing the course of my Career. I want more for my family, and I want to be able to give back. My family has weathered some big storms. After giving birth to our children my wife went into total kidney failure. Little did we know the next 10 years of life would my wife fighting for her life and me sitting at her bedside as she went through a kidney transplant, multiple rejection episodes and just as we thought things were looking up a stage 4 cancer diagnosis. Watching the pain my wife went through, watching her body deteriorate and not being able to do anything but hold her hand, pray for her and speak encouraging words was harder than I can put to words. It was probably the bravest thing I have ever done, yet felt the weakest. My wife is a walking miracle of the grace of God and is now cancer free with a functioning kidney transplant. My family is living a healthy and happy life together. I am now chasing a dream of a new career in data Technology at Bethel School of Technology. It is exciting and scary as I am the provider for my family, so in a different way this step is brave. I want to be able to give back to the community that poured so much into us as my wife was sick. I believe this change in career will give me more opportunity to do that.