TRAVEL
I have what some call the "travel bug"… so stay away from me if you don't want to catch it. It will eat your wallet and give you memories of a lifetime.
My first international experience was in 2019 to Brazil with my older brother. (Before that was Canada, but being from the USA, going to Canada doesn't really count.) Since Brazil, I made it a goal to leave my country and experience a new place at least once every year. It's currently 2025, and I have stayed true to that goal!
Philippines LDS Missionary Service
In 2019, after high-school, I volunteered to serve a full time mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I was assigned to labor in the Philippines for the next two years. (Due to Covid-19 I was only able to serve for 8 months)
During my time in the Philippines, I grew a love for a people I didn't know was quite possible. I learned to speak Tagalog fluently in that time, giving me the opportunity to teach, serve, and better connect with the filipino people.
I taught people about Jesus Christ and all the many things He has done for us.
I am so grateful for this opportunity I had to serve. I learned so much on my mission, but the most important thing I learned was how much God truly loves all of His children.
Fiji Humanitarian Trip / Study Abroad
In 2024 I signed up to do a study abroad through BYU. But this wasn't any study abroad, it was a cultural immersion program. The program was through a non-profit called Think Pacific.
I headed off to the mountains of Fiji for one month. I was quite literally in the middle of nowhere, living in a small village with a family of Fijians and a few other volunteers from the program.
We taught the local villagers empowering topics like leadership, sports development, business and enterprise, climate, and more. The program was aimed at helping the Fijian government reach its initiatives by helping reinforce the smaller rural villages.
Not only did I help teach, but I built lasting relationships and made a new family in Fiji.
