High school was tough. I was quiet, thin, and unsure. I didn’t apply myself in school, not because I didn’t care, but because no one expected me to. Still, somewhere deep inside, I held onto the belief that I was meant for more.

After graduation, I joined the Army. Some people doubted me, said I wouldn’t make it. But I did. I pushed through basic, then deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. In uniform, I found a kind of belonging I’d never felt before. The brotherhood, the purpose, the fire in my chest every time I woke up with something bigger than myself to fight for, it gave me strength.