How long have you been teaching?

6 years

Did you have any jobs before teaching? explain

I flipped pizza pies and was the delivery boy at Matt B’s Pizza in Murray.

What lead you to teaching?

I have a passion for history and telling a story. I’m motivated to make the subject students describe as “boring,” come to life and be more enjoyable. I also enjoy working and interacting with young people, and hopefully making a positive impact in their life, their year, or just their day.

Favorite Movie?

A Few Good Men

Song lyrics that mean a lot to you:

The Avett Brothers have a song called “A Father’s First Spring” about the birth of a man’s first child in which they say “I was a child before, the day that I met Eleanor.” I heard these lyrics for the first time after the birth of my daughter, who we named Eleanor.

Favorite fictional character:

Coach Eric Taylor from Friday Night Lights

Who or what inspires you?

I’m inspired every day by my wife and daughter. They give such purpose to everything that I do. I’m also motivated by the story of my grandfather. He and his 7 siblings moved to this area from Tennessee at a young age, and were very poor when they arrived. Over 60 years, he dedicated himself to farming, purchased land, and developed a sizable farm in Hickman County. His story reminds me that anything is possible through hard work.

Oh…and Teddy Roosevelt. He won the Nobel Peace Prize and the Medal of Honor. #motivation

Favorite comfort food?

Sour Patch Kids and/or Dairy Queen S’mores Blizzard

Where did you go to high school and what year did you graduate?

Hickman County High School – 2006

How would you define yourself as a high school student? Would the current you be friends with the high school you? Why/Why not? How have you changed?

As a student I was a perfectionist. Except in math, where I knew perfection was unattainable.
I would be friends with my high school self, but I would have to politely explain to my high school self that there are limits to how much hair gel you can use, shell necklaces were never really that cool, and acne, like most trouble in high school, is only temporary.
Today, I am so much more grounded in my expectations, and am so much more clear on what is truly important in life.

What is one thing that you wish your students knew about you?

I wish they knew that, sometimes… when the mood is right, I tune my Sirius Radio to Hip Hop Nation, turn it up, and drive really slow.

What was the first concert you ever went to?

Billy Ray Cyrus – Achy Breaky Heart Tour

What was the best concert you ever went to? What made it awesome?

Coldplay at the KFC Yum Center. It was a gift for my wife and I left there loving Coldplay. The atmosphere was incredible.