I was born and raised in San Diego and went to USDHS (High School). I grew up loving my City and all it has to offer; the ocean, perfect weather, beautiful girls, friendly people, nearby mountains, Colorado River, etc. The year I graduated from High School, my older brother passed away due to a traumatic accident. One of my best friends, a firefighter with SDFD at the time, was there for me in my time of need. This was a critical time in my life when I realized what it meant to be in need of a support network. That life-changing event took years for me to get through to the point that I could resume semi-normal daily activities. Since then, I have held multiple leadership positions including the United States Marine Corps, the United States Coast Guard, and as a firefighter on the SDFD. As a military Officer, I was responsible for ensuring that hundreds of personnel were ready to deploy into combat at a moment's notice. Striving to achieve this monumental task entailed being there for each and every one of my subordinates through difficult times, such as domestic violence, divorce, challenging situations with children, deaths in the family, long-distance relationships, not to mention the standard day-today challenges of being in the military.

As a firefighter, I have volunteered with the Burn Institute for almost a decade of Summer and/or Winter Burn Camps and other events. Through this experience, I have developed some close family relationships with some of the campers, their families (and extended families), and camp staff. Some of the challenges that some of our campers experience would be hard to imagine and it is even harder to believe that some of their stories are actually true. I, along with my family, have been a family support to one of our Burn Camp families for the majority of the last decade. My interest in being an asset to the Peer Support team and to the SDFD family derives from each of the experiences above. I hopeto be there for those firefighters that need me, just as the SDFD family was there for me in my time of greatest need. I know I have the life experience, leadership skills, and passion to be a valuable asset in supporting our family.