I spent my high school years running the halls, more concerned with having a good time than with getting a good education. And we did have a good time. We dodged teachers and assistant principals, got into a lot of trouble, and had a lot of laughs. It really was fun to go to school every day because every day there was another adventure to be had outside of the classroom. We did just enough schoolwork to satisfy the requirements and keep our parents from coming down too hard on us. If I really got into a bind, I had good friends who would help me out, and I'd do the same for them.

It was a good time. We graduated with our class, made our way out into the world, and instead of more fun, we got something else. I have a theory that life has a very large slap in the face in store for every single person on the planet. After high school, I discovered that there aren't very many employers looking for hall runners.

And so, I worked at many difficult, often menial jobs that paid well, but didn't offer anything aside from a steady paycheck. At the time, I didn't mind too much. I still had weekends to party and cruise with my friends. Life was pretty good.

I guess life decided to hold back on that slap in the face for a long while, but it came, very suddenly, and very painfully, when my children came. When I looked into my daughter's eyes for the first time, I wanted to give her the world, to open her eyes to all its beauty, to provide her with every opportunity to make the most out of what the world had to offer.

And I couldn't.

The jobs that had sustained me just fine in my younger years simply weren't enough. I needed something more, something that would lead to opportunities for me, so that I could open doors for my children. What I needed was education. The thought was intimidating. Somewhere along the way I'd made up my mind that I could never be academically successful, and that mindset stuck with me through most of my life.

I told a good friend of mine that I was considering enrolling in some classes.

"You should do it," he said.

"Yeah, but it's college. I'm not sure I can do it. Remember how I was in high school?"

And he said something that got my attention.

"Yeah, I remember. You had different priorities back then. Trust me. You're smart enough to do it. Now you have a reason."

My family became my reason. I balanced my classes with my duties as a father and a husband, and I earned my Bachelor's in Business before signing on here at the Chamber of Commerce. It's now my honor to serve the businesses of this community and build relationships that will bring opportunities not only to my family, but to the families who work and do business in Grant County as well.

Stephen R. Covey, bestselling author of "The Seven Habits of Highly Successful People" believed that successful people always begin with the end in mind.

For me, the end wasn't graduating college, or landing a great job. It was fulfilling the promise that I made, and still make, every time I look into my children's eyes.