What makes you a Difference Maker?

If I’m a Difference Maker, it’s only because of the investment that key people have made in me throughout my life. It’s the friendly competition from a colleague, or support from family that’s driven me to be who I am. My parents are certainly the most influential people to me; I’d be nowhere without them. My mother is a strong-minded business woman, while my father excels in mechanical trades—both have taught me so much. I’m only a representation of the qualities that my role models have presented to me. 

Highlight your campus achievements:

I wouldn’t have been able to achieve anything on campus without the initial guidance from my cross country coach. Early on in my career, he made me question what sort of person I wanted to be. Joe showed me that to have any sort of worth, one had to know right from wrong, and choose right every time. He pushed me on a certain path, and I know that I’m a better person as a result.

Highlight your leadership experiences both on and off campus:

I was inspired my freshman year by the senior captain of the cross country team, Quinn Osgood. By example, he showed me how powerful it is to embody a commitment to excellence. It was the athletic director here at Dearborn that made me realize that we can all have the qualities that we admire in others. I've had the opportunity to meet some pretty incredible people, and I hope to one day influence others as they’ve influenced me.

What is your dream career and/or long term life goal?

I’m thankful to my parents for raising me surrounded by the family business—I believe that it was in this environment that I learned many lessons. I intend to gain practical experience in both the accounting and legal fields before starting my own practice. With a small business, I can introduce to my offspring the same work ethic and values my parents instilled in me. 

What was your most defining moment at UM-Dearborn?

The experiences with close friends has shaped my time here. Jim Rohn says that we are the average of our five closest people. I’m truly privileged to have known coaches, teammates, friends, professors and family who all represent themselves with class. They all lead by example and teach others how to carry themselves. They’re the real Difference Makers.