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Like a lot of locals, my grandparents were brought to the area because they found work here. My wife and I still have a lot of family in the area. My childhood was pretty average. My family and I enjoyed the benefits of our local community and I specifically enjoyed playing youth sports until I was 15 years old. When I was 15 years old, and in tenth grade, I was diagnosed with a cancerous tumor in my right leg and as a result, I had my right leg amputated above the knee in addition to 6 months of chemotherapy.
This obstacle in my life became a new beginning for me. I began my new life as an amputee and cancer survivor, which led to my life being filled to this day with opportunities, growth and gratitude. While I was in high school, after my amputation, I continued to play high school sports, like swimming and lacrosse, but I developed a strong passion for alpine ski racing. She went to Maine Endwell High School.
I decided to go to BCC because I was skiing full-time and I needed to find a creative way to ski all across the country and start getting my secondary education at the same time. I attended BCC mostly in the fall semesters, then traveled out west and lived mostly in Colorado during the spring semesters, before coming back home and making up that schooling in the summers.
My wife and I got engaged and married after we realized we were both going to stay here after college and build our careers. I skied full-time until in addition to substitute teaching locally in the Vestal and Johnson City school districts to help pay the bills.
