COLLEGE LIFE on a ROCK... the UNIVERSITY of HAWAII at MANOA

I've decided to begin a blog... because I had began writing a book back in my freshmen year of college while I attended school at Hawaii and had completed around 100 pages.  While in Hawaii though, my lap top underwent liquid damage and I had yet to learn my lesson to save everything on a back up hard drive.  Therefore, I just about lost EVERYTHING... so I've decided to periodically gather my thoughts and memories from my time spent living in Hawaii and will sporadically update this section of the blog when time and desire permits.

The summer of 2007 was one of the greatest summers of my life and was the perfect way to depart home and move 3,000 miles across the Pacific Ocean for my first time living on my own.  I arrived in Honolulu, Hawaii in early August to prepare for football and my first semester of college.  I'll never forget the fact that I had to make the initial move with my dad, who isn't exactly the best person to settle you in somewhere for your first time away from home for a prolonged period of time.  Fortunately, my mom would join us in helping me prepare for living in Hawaii about a few days after our arrival... Thank God!  To be continued...

WOODROW WILSON CLASSICAL HIGH SCHOOL - CLASS of 2007

THE BEGINNING...

I prepared for college at Woodrow Wilson Classical High School in Long Beach, California from 2003-2007.  I spent my four years of high school working into the wee hours of the morning... EVERY morning with one goal, one dream in mind.  That one goal, one dream... was to attend the University of California, Los Angeles.  Therefore, I did everything in my control to do what it takes to be a student at UCLA.  As a freshmen at Wilson I was enrolled into the Distinguished Scholars program that has arguably one of the best reputations academically in the nation.  I spent all four years as a Distinguished Scholar and graduated from Wilson as a Distinguished Scholar, as I had maintained at least a 3.3 G.P.A. while taking at least 3 or 4 Advanced Placement classes which was the minimum requirement and completing over 40 hours of community service.  I exceeded the limit,  earning a 3.8 G.P.A., challenged myself to 9 Advanced Placement courses/exams, and completed around at least 800 hours of community service.  I also competed in 5 Varsity sports: Football, Cross-Country, Soccer, Track & Field, and Volleyball.  I earned several team awards such as Special Teams Player of the Year for football and Most Improved for Volleyball.  I earned First Team All Moore League Honors, was the only Wilson football player named to the Press-Telegram's First Team Dream Team, and was selected to play in the 605 All Star Game as both a Punter and Kicker.  I was also heavily involved in Student Council and Associated Student Body (ASB)  all four years of high school and was the founder and president of two on campus service clubs.  I was a member of several on-campus clubs, including Best Buddies, where I mentored a mentally challenged student named Andy multiple times a week during lunch time.  Conclusively, I did everything I could have possibly of had done in order of pursuing my dream to attend UCLA.  I had letters of recommendations from UCLA legend Skip Rowland as well as letters from past coaches, teachers, and principals.  Most notably, I had a letter of recommendation written by Diane Brown, who was a co-Principal at Wilson at the time whose son played football for UCLA, and she ended up passing away 2 years ago.  Now that I have set a UCLA record for most times rejected (3 applications and 3 appeals for a total of 6 times), I will share with you my story of where my long college journey has taken me over the past 4 years while still holding onto my dreams...