My life story is one of transformation and resilience. I was born into a chaotic environment and adopted, only to grapple with ADHD and addiction as I grew up.

My life story is one of transformation and resilience. I was born into a chaotic environment and adopted, only to grapple with ADHD and addiction as I grew up. My first major intervention, The Seed in 1975, fell short of what I needed, leading to further struggles in my teenage years until I found support at Boys' Village in Ohio. After high school, I enlisted in the Marine Corps, serving during the Gulf War, which became a cornerstone of my identity. I returned home with honors and dedicated myself to helping others through a behavioral program, emphasizing that formal education isn't the only path to making an impact. As a retiree, my mission is to share my experiences, illustrating how resilience can guide us to purposeful lives, often sprinkled with humor to break the heaviness of our pasts.