Culture of One

Culture of One

I was born on March 22, 1996, in Santa Cruz California. My whole life I have lived in the town of Aptos which is a part of Santa Cruz County. Growing up in the small town of Aptos has directly affected my life, since it’s where I lived, went to school and met some of my good friends. When I was young my parents got divorced and is something that has affected my life even up to today. With that my childhood wasn't always the easiest with always being put in the middle of my parents and always hearing two completely different stories and having to pick sides. But in the end it’s something that has shaped the person I have become and forced me to grow up and I think is why I tend to be more independent sometimes and do things myself and not rely on others. In my family I am the youngest of three, with one brother and one sister both of which have graduated college. Growing up I have always been close with my siblings, and I still remain close even though my sister is back home in Aptos and my brother is living in San Diego. Throughout everything that has happened, I have always been close with my family and they mean everything to me. They have always supported of me in everything that I did with school and sports. They were always there to go and watch my games no matter what team or sport I was playing even when they might not exactly know whats going on during the games. I was fortunate to be able to have not just my parents and siblings come to watch all of my high school games but also my grandparents went to most of my games even when they live an hour away. They have also been really supportive of my decision to attend Whitworth and be on the football team here. They have come up each year to make a few of my games, but are always watching the games online when they can’t make it up to the game. I would not be where I am or the person I am if it wasn't for my family and all of their support. 

One other aspect of my life that has really shaped me has been sports throughout high school and now here at Whitworth. I can say that because of sports I have made a lot of friendships. Playing football I believe is completely different from other sports, because training for football goes all year long which is why I have been able to make a lot of close friendships and why I can call my teammates my brothers. But throughout the different teams that I have been a part of I have always had coaches that were personal and not only taught me things on the field but also life lessons that have stuck with me and have shaped who I am. Along with the life lessons they have taught me, they have help to support and encourage me in my education, jobs, and in religion. Being apart of the team here at Whitworth has allowed me to grow more as a person, and one thing the coaches emphasize is that being apart of the team is so much more than a record of wins and losses and it truly is because in the end the record doesn't matter it's the relationships you build along the way that do and the memories you make throughout the season and offseason.