After graduating from Pearl River High School in 1993, I made the decision to serve my country and join the Army. After 20 years of service, I chose to retire in the Phenix City area in 2013 and focus my service within the community. I have over 500 volunteer hours as a teacher’s assistant with Ridgecrest and Lakewood Elementary Schools, worked as a special education paraprofessional for 2 years in Lee County, and was a Girl Scout Troop co-leader for eight years (2012-2020) with Girl Scout Troop 50278 in Ladonia, AL. My wife, Christina, and I have two daughters, Brianna and Zoey, and an overly energetic Alaskan Husky named Akita.
My twenty-year career in the Army began locally with infantry basic training graduation at nearby Fort Benning, GA. Much of my time in the Army was focused on teaching and training soldiers. As a Master Gunner, I trained my unit’s 14 Bradley Fighting Vehicle crews to achieve Brigade Top Gun during our gunnery training density. During combat operations, I planned and taught a Pre-Master Gunner Course to prepare 15 students for Master Gunner School. I finished out my career managing five Infantry Army courses that graduated more than 1,000 students annually. I have completed two deployment tours in Korea, one in Kuwait, and three in Iraq. I was inducted into the United States Army Sergeant Audie Murphy Club for exemplary leadership and performance and was awarded the Order of Saint Maurice Medallion for providing significant leadership contributions to the infantry.
While attending Troy University, I completed more than 125 hours of clinical field experience within the classrooms of the Lee County and Phenix City school districts. I graduated summa cum laude in June 2019 with a 3.93 GPA and earned a place on the Chancellor's List fifteen out of sixteen terms. I was selected as Troy University Phenix City Campus K-6 Elementary Education Department’s 2017-2018 Student of the Year. I also have been inducted into the Phi Kappa Phi and the Kappa Delta Pi Honor Societies.
In the fall of 2021, I was awarded the "I Make a Difference" Award by the district. I was also selected as the 2021-2022 Westview Elementary Teacher of the Year (TOTY) and was selected as a district TOTY finalist.
My twenty-year career in the Army began locally with infantry basic training graduation at nearby Fort Benning, GA. Much of my time in the Army was focused on teaching and training soldiers. As a Master Gunner, I trained my unit’s 14 Bradley Fighting Vehicle crews to achieve Brigade Top Gun during our gunnery training density. During combat operations, I planned and taught a Pre-Master Gunner Course to prepare 15 students for Master Gunner School. I finished out my career managing five Infantry Army courses that graduated more than 1,000 students annually. I have completed two deployment tours in Korea, one in Kuwait, and three in Iraq. I was inducted into the United States Army Sergeant Audie Murphy Club for exemplary leadership and performance and was awarded the Order of Saint Maurice Medallion for providing significant leadership contributions to the infantry.
While attending Troy University, I completed more than 125 hours of clinical field experience within the classrooms of the Lee County and Phenix City school districts. I graduated summa cum laude in June 2019 with a 3.93 GPA and earned a place on the Chancellor's List fifteen out of sixteen terms. I was selected as Troy University Phenix City Campus K-6 Elementary Education Department’s 2017-2018 Student of the Year. I also have been inducted into the Phi Kappa Phi and the Kappa Delta Pi Honor Societies.
In the fall of 2021, I was awarded the "I Make a Difference" Award by the district. I was also selected as the 2021-2022 Westview Elementary Teacher of the Year (TOTY) and was selected as a district TOTY finalist.