Against All Odds

This past september, I was nominated to represent Murray High as the Business and Marketing Sterling Scholar. You can't imagine the shock this was for me! Honestly, I only applied because I heard there was only one other (much more qualified) guy applying, and I couldnt just let him walk away with it! I have a decent GPA and an average ACT, but I am aware I am no genius! But sure enough, while on vacation in California I receive a call telling me I made it! I was ecstatic! But not ambitious. I would spend the time, and put together a frighteningly detailed 20 page portfolio, and go be interviewed by the region judges. But as my cousin, the Math Sterling Scholar calculated, my odds were not so good to advance to the next round.

So this last Wednesday the 12 of us walked into Kearns High School (looking like a million bucks I might add, I love dressing businessy) to be weighed and measured against the other 15 nominees in each of our categories. Strangely enough, adults have never really intimidated me. And this seems to have been my strongest tool while in these interviews. I walked in calm, walked out calm, and was just glad it was over!

Around 11:30 that night I was doing some homework when I got a text from one of the fellow sterling scholars telling me the results were up. I just told her to tell me. Not willing to get my hopes up. And sure enough! She told me I was 1 of 5 region winners and I was going to advance to state!

I just about fell out of my chair! And I have been so excited since! This opens up all kinds of crazy opportunities for me! I just qualified for a bunch of new scholarships so I am looking into some different options before my mission. If anyone has any advice on good business programs in Utah please let me know! I would love to hear what you have to say!

I'm Starting to Rethink That "Bring it on" Thing

So, I feel it’s time for a formal update on my last post. Good news, I have found the perfect program that will push me and build endurance. It is also free! Can you beat that? I think not. however, it is the Marines and it hurts like nothing else!

How did I get the wonderful opportunity to go to a Marine training workout 3 times a week you ask? Well a month ago I was seriously researching the Marines but I decided to wait out on that commitment till after my mission. Then, 2 days before state swim got over, my Marine recruiter sent me a text asking if I wanted to start their PT training with them 3 times a week. What perfect timing! I told him I would start that next week. It sounded great! Jogs with a drill instructor shouting out, “left! Right! Left! Right!”, supervision of weight lifting to insure I was trying my hardest or a punishment would follow. It sounded just like a movie, where I could enter an average scruffy Joe, and leave confident, poised, and ready for the world.

Well, that whole discipline thing looks real clean, sharp, and structured on TV. But when you’re living it, it is not nearly as romantic. We did the entire workout in a deserted Albertsons parking lot. We started out by sprinting a set of ladders with an entire column of parking stalls (gradually sprinting the entire parking lot back and forth about 30 times). And I felt like a real hot shot, just cooking along, but after one time of that I wanted to die. And sure enough, there was the drill instructor telling me, “Hurry up, too slow, all the way to the line” etc. Our breaks consisted of 2 minutes of either max out push-ups, crunchers, or mountain climbers. After 4 cycles of that (and several people puking and me just about passing out), we were done.

Boy, am I excited. I get to do this 3 times a week! I guess it’s easy to say “Bring it on” when you really have no idea what “it” is. Wish me luck, I am going to do this.