The Early Years

I grew up on a lake in Chanhassen, Minnesota. During the 14 years my family lived there I saw my town grow from a small farming community to a major suburb of Minneapolis. Before we moved to our second home in Chanhassen I would spend my summers along Lake Anne swimming, fishing, and canoeing. Things were simple in Chanhassen. I bounced between a few schools, searching for, but never quite fitting in. I went through a tough period, got in some fist fights, and wound up in private school for 2 years. After I finished middle school my family moved to Utah and I started my freshman year. I discovered drama class and for the first time really felt that I might fit in with a group of people. My sophomore year I moved schools yet again because of district lines. I had a number of friends and really had the most amazing year of my life. At the end of that year after flying back from a mission trip to Russia my family packed its bags and we moved to Virginia.

From the start I felt on the outside of my classmates. Over the years I had become a nomad, bouncing between states and schools every 2 years, and even though I was outgoing, I was the new kid on the block and they seemed suspicious of me. I continued acting and played team sports. Near the end of my junior year I had a disagreement with the church and left. I felt that they were not letting me reach my potential and I fell into a dark period. Till now the church had been my second home a trusted and safe place. This moment made me question many of these things. My acting teacher Mr. Ackley suggested, on a whim, that I spend the summer at North Carolina School of the Arts. I sent in an application and was accepted a few weeks later. That summer was the most amazing summer of my life. I had finally found my home. At the end of the summer I was offered a position in their high school program but had to turn it down due to family finances. We had always had what we needed growing up, never too little nor too much. My father was a good provider.