I grew up in a small town called Bay City, TX. I attended Van Vleck High School which was even smaller. In December 2012 I finally graduated from Texas Tech, but being enrolled at Texas Tech were the best years of my life. I was initiated into the Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity my freshman year and never looked back, but I never saw what was going to happen next.

On January 19, 2010 my dad passed away from an apparent heart attack. It was and probably will be the most difficult event I will ever go through in my life, but the support and encouragement I received from my brothers were incredible. After witnessing this incredible brotherhood rally around me in my darkest hour I knew I wanted to give back to them in some way. Within the year I successfully ran for Chaplain, and not too long after I had a brother approach me about a man with Cru who was meeting with Greek Chaplains. We grabbed lunch with him and throughout the meeting he shared the Gospel and I responded to that by accepting Jesus into my heart.

He had explained to me that God loved me and had a HUGE PLAN IN STORE FOR ME, but I was trying to accomplish everything on my own strength, which wasn't enough. God knew I could never be strong enough and that’s why He sent his one and only Son, Jesus. Jesus was a man of real strength. He was so strong that he never sinned. He lived the life I should have lived but couldn’t and he willingly laid down his life for me by dying on the cross, so that I could understand what true power meant.

Jesus said there is no greater love than this, than he who lays his life down for his friends. And that’s exactly what he did. For God so loved me, that he gave his one and only son that whoever believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. I wanted to know a love like that? I had never been able to depend on or trust my parents. I had been let down and hurt so many times that I had built a wall of protection around my heart. That day the walls came down and I found two things. God is strong and He loves me.

Since the day I put Christ at the center of my heart my entire life has changed. There are many times where I struggle and make mistakes, but the difference now is that God is right there with me to keep my path straight whenever I stumble. At times it is difficult to relinquish my control over my life, but I put my faith in God's plan and control because it is so much bigger than I can ever imagine.