| What is your most memorable childhood experience? | I have had many memorable childhood experiences that I deeply cherish. One of my favorite experiences as a child would have to be the summer before 8th grade, while I was at a wilderness camp. It was that summer that I finally conquered my fear of large bodies of water and fell in love with the outdoors. Two weeks in the wilderness without any form of electricity or other societal pressures. I learned basic survival skills, camp-craft, archery, canoeing, and was able to bond with other boys my age and make friends that I never would have otherwise. I learned to love the long days of strenuous hiking and the cold wet nights just as much as the crisp, sunny mornings and cozy evenings by the campfire. Persevering through those grueling moments are part of what made me the man that I am today. Of course, no matter how much I enjoyed those two weeks of trekking through the mountains each summer, I was always overjoyed when my parents would come to bring me back home. |
| What immediate family member do you closely identify with and why? | I am incredibly close with each of my family members and of course my mom holds a special place in my heart. However, my younger brother and I have always been the most alike and therefore I would say I identify with him the most. I'm only a little older than him so we spent the majority of our time together. All of my siblings share a love for the outdoors and similar hobbies but what sets my younger brother and I apart was our passion for similar sports (football, soccer, baseball). We always competed with each other and pushed one another to be a better teammate. In high school we both focused on football as our main sport and we both ended up playing for our respective college teams. Over the years we really bonded through sports and many other aspects of our lives. The relationship I have with him is something that defines me. |
| What character traits do you admire in an individual? | The character traits that I admire in an individual include: honesty, strong work ethic, respectful, kind-hearted, and ambitious. |
| What is the funniest thing ever to happen to you? | I would have to say the first thing that comes to mind is when I was about twelve years old and my family was visiting our cousin's farm. I was tromping around all day with my siblings and cousins watching all the cows and pigs. Suddenly, I lifted my foot up and it didn't budge. As I looked down I realized that I had wandered right into a massive pile of cow manure! I kept trying to get my foot out of the sticky stuff until I eventually lost my balance and fell face first into the smelly stuff. At the time, this was not a funny moment. However, looking back on it, I now understand why my aunts and uncles were all laughing hysterically when they saw me trudging up from the pastures. |
| If time and money were not an issue, where would you travel and why? | I have already been able to save enough money to travel across Europe but I would love to return in the future. I would love to visit Norway again to see the homestead where my ancestors lived. Besides Europe I have always wanted to go to Africa and Asia as well. There are so many places to see, whether it is a historical site or simply nature's beauty. |
| When and if you ever have children, what would you like to pass on to them? | When and if I have children, I want to pass on to them the values that my parents instilled within myself. I want my children to treat others with the respect and kindness that they themselves would wish to be treated with. I also know that this world can be a cruel place with plenty of bad people and unfortunate situations. I hope that my children can be the ones who stand up for those that are being mistreated, and set an example for others to strive for. |
