I graduated High School from Colby, Kansas, as Valedictorian, where I grew up with four brothers. Two of whom also attended Fort Hays State University, while my youngest brother currently attends middle school. My dad is also an FHSU alum. I have always enjoyed all sports-related things and being competitive is an obvious side effect of having three brothers, two of whom were older than me. My favorite sport is track and field, with my favorite event being the pole vault. However, I enjoy anything athletically inclined. I am creative, curious, driven, and patient.
What do you now do for a living? How did you end up choosing this career path?
I currently live in Overland Park and attend the KU School of Medicine with an aspiration to become an ophthalmologist. Becoming a physician has always been a goal of mine, and the simple reason for this is to impact and help others. Growing up in a small town often results in a tight-knit connection with the community around oneself. Through this, I experienced many family members and community members suffering from various ailments ranging from minor hindrances to deadly diseases. This, along with shadowing and my patient encounters, pushed me to pursue a life as a physician.
Why did you choose to attend FHSU?
Upon graduating high school, I was stuck between attending KU and FHSU. Ultimately, I decided to attend FHSU because of a scholarship that I received to be on the track team as a pole vaulter. Being at FHSU reinforced that I made the right decision and led to many options for medical school.
What are your favorite memories from your time as a student?
My experiences at FHSU are some of the best memories of my life and resulted in me finding many life long friends. My favorite pole-vaulting memory was when the men’s pole-vaulting team ranked as the best pole-vaulting squad in the nation. As for school, my favorite memory was coming back to talk to pre-med students for a student organization I helped establish during my time at FHSU. I also won the Kansas Startup Entrepreneurship contest with an idea for a mental health app called MeHe.
What advice do you have for current or prospective FHSU students?
I once had the opportunity to advise the FHSU freshmen class. I still stand by what I told them, “Do not be afraid to fail,” and “Get involved in something you love.”
Tell us about someone at FHSU who has left a lasting impression:
I could not have asked for a better pole-vaulting coach, Randy Stanley, who took a self-taught high school pole vaulter to one who ranked 13th nationally. Pole vaulting was exhilarating and introduced me to some of my best friends. Randy was flexible with our chaotic schedules, patient as we worked to perfect our form, and genuinely passionate about ensuring that we were not only great athletes but successful in all ventures of our life. He would drop anything to help his athletes, and he is a role model for what an incredible coach looks like.
Tell us about someone at FHSU who has left a lasting impression:
I could not have asked for a better pole-vaulting coach, Randy Stanley, who took a self-taught high school pole vaulter to one who ranked 13th nationally. Pole vaulting was exhilarating and introduced me to some of my best friends. Randy was flexible with our chaotic schedules, patient as we worked to perfect our form, and genuinely passionate about ensuring that we were not only great athletes but successful in all ventures of our life. He would drop anything to help his athletes, and he is a role model for what an incredible coach looks like.