| What is your most memorable childhood experience? | My most memorable experiences as a child were our family dinners. Almost every night my brothers, my parents, and I would sit around a table, share a meal, and talk about our accomplishments and struggles. Many times we would simply sit and enjoy the silences. These dinners gave me a sense of belonging and togetherness that helped shape me into the person that I am today. |
| What immediate family member do you closely identify with and why? | I identify most closely to my older brother. I look up to him in many ways. As a child I wanted to be as smart, fast, brave, cool, and strong as he was. Now, I still strive to be as brave and as wise as he, but I also aim to be as kind and understanding. My brother is now a college professor, and is helping young adults become excited about their education. He is always looking for a way to make his community better, and I try and emulate this behavior every day. |
| What character traits do you admire in an individual? | I am lucky to be surrounded by wonderful friends and family in my life, and all of these individuals are empathetic people who are reflective listeners. When I need help, or if I want to share a success, I know that my story will be heard and met with empathy. The people who I admire the most are empathetic individuals who listen well. |
| What is the funniest thing ever to happen to you? | I cannot pinpoint a singular event that I could deem the funniest thing that ever happened to me, but I can say that humor is essential to me in my everyday life. The work I do is often intense, and humor is often my favorite coping tool. Growing up, and still to this day, I am always looking for different ways to make people laugh. I would say that I have a dry or dark sense of humor. In a second life I would love to be a comedic writer. |
| If time and money were not an issue, where would you travel and why? | Some years ago my wife and I hiked about two hundred miles in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, and I fell in love with beauty of the mountains. Someday when we have more time, my wife and I plan to do different long hikes in the US and abroad. I would love to hike the Pacific Crest Trail someday. |
| When and if you ever have children, what would you like to pass on to them? | Through my work I have found that the world can be tough, but I am lucky to have the ability to see beauty every day no matter how difficult my day was. As my son and daughter grow older I want to pass along my love of service to them, and I hope they adopt my optimism and my ability to see beauty in everyday life. |
