I grew up in Katy, TX, which is west of Houston. It was nice growing up there because we still got to see a lot of the big city elements, but had a community feel.
The people that influenced me the most growing up would have to be my parents. My dad was a long-term career guy with ExxonMobil and showed me a lot of what stability, strength, and what being constant and consistent looked like. My mom helped raise me and my two other siblings, while also working through our church and continuing to put her degree to use in whatever ways she could as well.
One of the greatest lessons I would say I learned from my childhood is that in the end everything is going to be OK. Regardless of what happened in any situation, my parents instilled in me that things will work out and it is important to have a support system and good people around you.
Also, to have kind of inner drive and fire that you just consistently stick with regardless of the situation.
I went to college at Stephen F. Austin State University and studied Kinesiology. My major tied along well with my passion of volleyball, and I played four years, lettering with them, and got a full ride scholarship, which was awesome. I absolutely loved being a Student Athlete. I learned a lot of responsibility and learned a lot of great lessons that I continue to use in my day-to-day life now.