In my 20 years on Earth, I feel like I have changed a lot.
I find myself constantly reinventing the wheel, doing things I never expected were possible. Just before my senior year of high school, if you told me that I would win the Homecoming talent show by performing a rap song or be the titular character in Shrek: The Musical, I would’ve called you crazy.
Once I received my diploma, I thought I reached the peak. I figured I would never have as much fun as I did in those previous eight months.
I was sorely mistaken.
Before arriving on Bradley’s campus, I was one of seven high school valedictorians, an achievement I never would’ve imagined to be possible. What laid in front of me after was the decision of what my major would be.
Ever since I was a young lad, I can remember everything I wanted to do with my life. In grade school, I wanted to be a teacher. During middle school, that changed to being a meteorologist. Throw in a couple more normal dream jobs for children, like an astronaut, singer or actor, and you get my dreams in a nutshell.
However, my path led me down a route that I was destined for since I was about six years old: sports.
I was never the most athletic person in my grade, but my passion for sports was too great to ignore. When I got home from school, I would turn on my PlayStation and boot up Madden, FIFA, NBA 2K or whatever I wanted to play, immersing myself in the virtual stadium in front of me.
Watching sports on TV, I always listened to the commentary team and thought about what it must be like to sit in the booth and talk about something you love for hours on end.
But I didn’t know where to start.
That was when I learned that Bradley had one of, if not the best, sports communication programs in the Midwest. With me living just 45 minutes away from Peoria, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity.
Ever since, I’ve written articles, worked behind the scenes of broadcasts and even put on the headset, calling Braves volleyball and softball games. I’ve also had the honor and privilege to meet professionals in the industry who helped me tremendously with their words, whether they realize it or not.
After each experience, I’ve learned how to translate what I’m taught into my future endeavors, whether it be my writing skills or creativity in speech. All this would have never happened if I kept doing the same things throughout my lifetime. It can be a scary thing to do, but continuing to change how you operate is a vital skill to any person.
To quote Oprah Winfrey, “the whole point of being alive is to evolve into the complete person you were intended to be.”
