I began my faith journey during the start of my junior year of high school. I was playing on the varsity soccer team and was invited to attend a Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) event on campus by one of my teammates. The message at that FCA gathering hit home and jump-started my journey to becoming a follower of Jesus Christ. The year following, as a senior in high school, I was baptized and started attending church and local FCA meetings regularly. That connection came full circle when I started attending classes and playing soccer at Fresno Pacific University (FPU). I helped organize FCA meetings at the university and I attended several FCA meetings as a guest speaker to share my testimony to local high school student athletes. I later became an active member of the ministry through the FCA Endurance team, which allowed me many opportunities to share my faith with fellow runners as I traveled the country racing marathons. I had many other opportunities to serve while teaching at FPU due to the faith-centered initiatives designed to serve students and get folks engaged within the local community. I now serve alongside my wife at Peoples Church in Fresno, CA where our children are actively involved in the kids ministry programs. I'm an Assistant Professor of Exercise Science at Fresno State University (FSU). I started my journey into higher eduction when I received a graduate assistant position at Fresno Pacific University (FPU) to teach biomechanics, exercise physiology, and motor behavior labs while completing my master's degree in Exercise Science. I fell in love with teaching and working with college students in the classroom setting. This opened the door for me to pursue a career path in teaching higher education and to pursue my doctorate. I completed my Ph.D. in Health and Human Performance at Concordia University Chicago in May of 2019, and landed my first tenure-track position as an Assistant Professor of Kinesiology at FPU in March of 2020. I taught at FPU for 4 years before accepting my current position at FSU in 2024. I'm currently teaching Performance Related Fitness and Integrated Exercise Science courses in the undergraduate Exercise Science program at FSU, as well as taking on the role as the Director of the Human Performance Lab (HPL) position. I love having the capacity to work with college-aged students and to be a part of the transformative years that truly mark the beginning of adulthood for so many capable young individuals. My ministry is serving these young adults and providing a sense of hope and reassurance in the midst of challenging years for those I come in contact with at FSU. I loom forward to a long and fruitful career of positively impacting and transforming the lives of many young folks in our community!