Service Array:
Internal Support Supervisor
Therapeutic Excursion Lead
I was born in Honolulu, HI and raised with two little brothers. Due to the high standard of living and my dad being laid off, my family moved to my mom’s hometown of Eau Claire. My dad still struggled to find employment and we grew up in subsidized housing. Both of my parents worked two jobs to make ends meet up until their divorce. With both parents gone that left me as the one in charge of my two brothers. We grew up in a neighborhood where violence, poverty, and law enforcement presence were the norm.
In middle school, due to my family’s poverty, and our ethnicity, I struggled to fit in. I found friendship and belonging after getting involved with a gang. Fortunately, after encounters with law enforcement, violent encounters, and the help of coaches and teachers that would not give up on me, I realized I was in trouble and the path I was on would lead to prison or worse.
I switched schools to distance myself from the wrong crowd and found a new calling in basketball. Unfortunately, I had not changed and after my sophomore year I was no longer eligible to play due to too many code violations. I switched my focus to boxing and kickboxing for the remainder of high school.
My senior year I struggled finding an education or career path. After doing a ride along and touring a technical college I found a calling in Firefighting. I graduated with a FireMedic degree and have been a full-time Firefighter/Paramedic for the past 17 years. I currently hold the rank of Lieutenant and specialize in rope rescue.
In 2014 I found the sport of CrossFit. It fueled my competitive nature and I have been hooked since. Due to too many injuries I can no longer compete, however I still remain active with fitness and use it to cope with stress from the job and everyday life. I take pride in serving my community, which is why peer support and mentorship are areas that I am passionate about and areas where I believe I can make a positive difference in the lives of others.