I was recently nominated for the Sterling Sentinel Scholarship Award for the business category. I am extremely proud of this accomplishment, even though I didn't believe I was the necessarily the best choice for the nomination. The first business class I took was Marketing Foundations last year as a junior. Since then, I've taken Sports Marketing and next semester I am taking Business Management. I hope the judges for the scholarship will realize that I may have been nominated because of my potential and will to succeed in the business world. Through different activities, I have gained necessary skills to become a leader in the business world after attending college and possibly graduate school. The one activity that has helped my leadership skills most, so far, has been being the captain of this year's varsity basketball team.
Throughout my time at Homestead High School, I have been looked upon as a leader in the hallways, in the classroom, and on the basketball court. As a member of the varsity basketball team since my junior year, I have been respected by classmates and teammates alike. As a senior, I was elected by my teammates as a Co-Captain of the varsity team. Seeing this as an opportunity to lead my team throughout the season, I have fully embraced the position and I have enjoyed every moment of leading the team.
However, at first glance, the varsity basketball is very young, with only two seniors, seven juniors, two sophomores, and a freshman. With such a young team, my head coach came to me and told me that I needed to step up even more to keep the team focused mentally, physically, and emotionally. Like every team, I have dealt with jealousy between teammates, discouraged teammates, and disheartening losses.
I have approached this position with a business-like attitude, making sure everybody on the team knows that it is important to work hard at all times, whether it is in a shoot-around, practice, or game. I consider myself the manager of the team, with my teammates being my fellow employees and my head coach being the boss. I listen to the orders of my coach, relay the information to my teammates, and make sure they follow the orders to the best of their abilities.
As I enter college, I know that any business experience will be helpful when looking at my future. In my life up until this point, leading a basketball team is the closest I have been to holding a management position. I have brought it upon myself to lead my younger teammates by example. There is no question that, if I ever own or manage a business, I will need to deal with people of all ages and backgrounds. By being the captain of such a young team, this experience has allowed me to become a better leader now and possibly a better business person in the future.
Now, the team has won five games and lost two, exceeding expectations of students around school, writers on local newspapers, and other teams around the area. Leading the team to one of our school’s best starts to a season in recent years has given me the confidence that my leadership is working with the members of the team. There is no question in my mind that more success will come for our team this year, and the leadership experience I have gained will positively affect my future in business.
I hope that in the years to come, the skills I have taken from basketball will translate into success in the business world and with my family in the future.
12.28.2008
College Essay: Peer Baekgaard
I just wrote a college essay for the application to Hope College. It's about my step-grandfather who passed away in 2007 and I just wanted to share it with anyone reading.
Throughout my life, I have come into contact with people who have had stories to tell me and advice to give me. My parents have instilled values and ethics into me, my friends have allowed me to keep a strong sense of humor, and my siblings have given me the ability to be responsible when watching over them and protecting them. However, through all of my years, it has been my step-grandfather, Peer Baekgaard, who has been the most inspirational to me. After countless stories of what he went through during his teen years, and what obstacles he had to overcome to be successful in this world, it was easy for me to conclude that Peer Baekgaard was no ordinary man, but an extraordinary man who had an amazing story to tell.
Peer was born in Copenhagen, Denmark in 1923. In 1944, Peer joined the Danish Underground army to help fight the German forces in the time leading up to World War II. However, he was captured by the Germans and taken to a Prisoner-of-War Camp where he was sentenced to be executed. After countless months of living on bread and small portions of soup, Peer’s execution was on the horizon. Yet, in a bizarre twist of fate, the British bombed the camp Peer was at, and destroyed all the paperwork which named Peer as someone up for execution.
A few more months passed in P.O.W. camp when, one morning, the gates were opened and no guards could be seen. Not knowing whether this was a cruel trick set up by the Germans, Peer and fellow inmates cautiously escaped the camp by night in hopes to return to Copenhagen. Hiding by day and travelling by night, Peer finally reached Copenhagen to find that the war was over.
A few years passed before Peer made possibly the biggest decision of his life. In the mid 1950’s, Peer decided to immigrate to the United States, where he could live in the free world. Upon arrival, Peer had no job and no means of salary. To make up for his lack of funds, Peer made a dozen wooden boats and went to F.A.O. Schwartz Toy Company in New York City and sold his boats to the store. This business deal would end up marking the start of something special. Peer decided to start a business called Baekgaard, Ltd., which sold men’s gifts and accessories.
Years passed and Peer’s business grew exponentially. In the late 1980’s, while acting as President of the Chicago Gift Mart at the annual Chicago Gift Show, Peer met a woman who had recently started a business of her own. Her name was Barbara Bradley, and her business was called Vera Bradley, named after her mother. The two had instant chemistry and, after a few years of dating, got married in 1990.
With both companies becoming internationally-known, multi-million dollar companies, the couple shared some great moments together. Vera Bradley and Baekgaard, Ltd. collaborated to make a few products and basically created a brother-sister relationship between the companies. On July 21, 2007, after a battle with a number of health issues, Peer Baekgaard passed away at the age of 83.
To me, Peer’s story is inspirational beyond measure. From almost being executed, to immigrating to America, to owning a business, and to finding love, Peer led an eventful life that many people could never dream of enduring. When he married my grandmother a year before my birth, he essentially became my grandfather.
His stories and life lessons were ones to be remembered, and he never had a problem telling me in his thick, Danish accent. He taught me that persistence was necessary in this world. His persistence brought him to America and made him successful.
He taught me to not take anything for granted in this world. I recall countless meals where he would say a normal hamburger was “fantastic” and that an everyday sunset was “outstanding.” In order to understand why Peer was so thrilled with everyday things, I had to remember that he was days away from being executed.
Peer showed me that a sense of humor can get you a long ways in life. His sense of humor was somewhat dry, but always effective, as he could brighten up a room with a witty joke or his bright smile. Because of Peer, I do my best everyday to keep situations light and add a bit of humor here and there. Nothing is better than to see someone smile, and Peer showed me that one can gain a lot of friends and acquaintances by having a good sense of humor.
Finally, Peer showed me that love can make a person the happiest they can possibly be. By spending time with my grandmother and Peer, I could see that there was a genuine love and affection towards each other that made me love them even more. Oftentimes, I would hear Peer tell my grandmother that he loved her “very, very much.” He wasn’t purely saying he loved her to say it. He indisputably loved her with all of his heart, and I could do nothing but give my full respect to him for treating her so well.
When Peer died, I could see how many people he affected throughout his lifetime. The viewing at the local funeral home was incredible, as the line was always out the door to see my grandmother and Peer for one last time. I shook more hands and met more people in that night alone than I had in the five years leading up to the viewing. Each person told me what kind of person Peer was and how he had affected them differently, whether it was business related or family related. Most importantly, I saw how much my grandmother loved him. Yes, she shed some tears, but her attitude was very positive, as people continuously told her all of the funny stories they had about Peer and how he completely affected their lives at one point or another.
Peer was inspirational to me in countless ways. By seeing what he did with his time on this planet, I know what it takes to be successful in this world. His life lessons will be essential to my future. Whether I go on to own a business, write for a newspaper, or simply sell wooden boats, I know Peer’s guidance will help me become a successful and an admirable person in anything I do in life.
Throughout my life, I have come into contact with people who have had stories to tell me and advice to give me. My parents have instilled values and ethics into me, my friends have allowed me to keep a strong sense of humor, and my siblings have given me the ability to be responsible when watching over them and protecting them. However, through all of my years, it has been my step-grandfather, Peer Baekgaard, who has been the most inspirational to me. After countless stories of what he went through during his teen years, and what obstacles he had to overcome to be successful in this world, it was easy for me to conclude that Peer Baekgaard was no ordinary man, but an extraordinary man who had an amazing story to tell.
Peer was born in Copenhagen, Denmark in 1923. In 1944, Peer joined the Danish Underground army to help fight the German forces in the time leading up to World War II. However, he was captured by the Germans and taken to a Prisoner-of-War Camp where he was sentenced to be executed. After countless months of living on bread and small portions of soup, Peer’s execution was on the horizon. Yet, in a bizarre twist of fate, the British bombed the camp Peer was at, and destroyed all the paperwork which named Peer as someone up for execution.
A few more months passed in P.O.W. camp when, one morning, the gates were opened and no guards could be seen. Not knowing whether this was a cruel trick set up by the Germans, Peer and fellow inmates cautiously escaped the camp by night in hopes to return to Copenhagen. Hiding by day and travelling by night, Peer finally reached Copenhagen to find that the war was over.
A few years passed before Peer made possibly the biggest decision of his life. In the mid 1950’s, Peer decided to immigrate to the United States, where he could live in the free world. Upon arrival, Peer had no job and no means of salary. To make up for his lack of funds, Peer made a dozen wooden boats and went to F.A.O. Schwartz Toy Company in New York City and sold his boats to the store. This business deal would end up marking the start of something special. Peer decided to start a business called Baekgaard, Ltd., which sold men’s gifts and accessories.
Years passed and Peer’s business grew exponentially. In the late 1980’s, while acting as President of the Chicago Gift Mart at the annual Chicago Gift Show, Peer met a woman who had recently started a business of her own. Her name was Barbara Bradley, and her business was called Vera Bradley, named after her mother. The two had instant chemistry and, after a few years of dating, got married in 1990.
With both companies becoming internationally-known, multi-million dollar companies, the couple shared some great moments together. Vera Bradley and Baekgaard, Ltd. collaborated to make a few products and basically created a brother-sister relationship between the companies. On July 21, 2007, after a battle with a number of health issues, Peer Baekgaard passed away at the age of 83.
To me, Peer’s story is inspirational beyond measure. From almost being executed, to immigrating to America, to owning a business, and to finding love, Peer led an eventful life that many people could never dream of enduring. When he married my grandmother a year before my birth, he essentially became my grandfather.
His stories and life lessons were ones to be remembered, and he never had a problem telling me in his thick, Danish accent. He taught me that persistence was necessary in this world. His persistence brought him to America and made him successful.
He taught me to not take anything for granted in this world. I recall countless meals where he would say a normal hamburger was “fantastic” and that an everyday sunset was “outstanding.” In order to understand why Peer was so thrilled with everyday things, I had to remember that he was days away from being executed.
Peer showed me that a sense of humor can get you a long ways in life. His sense of humor was somewhat dry, but always effective, as he could brighten up a room with a witty joke or his bright smile. Because of Peer, I do my best everyday to keep situations light and add a bit of humor here and there. Nothing is better than to see someone smile, and Peer showed me that one can gain a lot of friends and acquaintances by having a good sense of humor.
Finally, Peer showed me that love can make a person the happiest they can possibly be. By spending time with my grandmother and Peer, I could see that there was a genuine love and affection towards each other that made me love them even more. Oftentimes, I would hear Peer tell my grandmother that he loved her “very, very much.” He wasn’t purely saying he loved her to say it. He indisputably loved her with all of his heart, and I could do nothing but give my full respect to him for treating her so well.
When Peer died, I could see how many people he affected throughout his lifetime. The viewing at the local funeral home was incredible, as the line was always out the door to see my grandmother and Peer for one last time. I shook more hands and met more people in that night alone than I had in the five years leading up to the viewing. Each person told me what kind of person Peer was and how he had affected them differently, whether it was business related or family related. Most importantly, I saw how much my grandmother loved him. Yes, she shed some tears, but her attitude was very positive, as people continuously told her all of the funny stories they had about Peer and how he completely affected their lives at one point or another.
Peer was inspirational to me in countless ways. By seeing what he did with his time on this planet, I know what it takes to be successful in this world. His life lessons will be essential to my future. Whether I go on to own a business, write for a newspaper, or simply sell wooden boats, I know Peer’s guidance will help me become a successful and an admirable person in anything I do in life.
11.30.2008
I am somewhat dreading today...
So right now I am sitting in my bed because I just woke up approximately twenty minutes ago. Usually I would be enjoying the warmth and darkness of my room, which has no windows making it a fire hazard, but today is different because I just realized I have a crap-load of writing to do. I used a colloquialism and I don't care... Anyways, I have that 2,000 word court case essay due for composition, a 500 to 550 word column due for the newspaper, and my mom is counting on me to finish some essays for college applications. Some people will probably tell me that I should have planned my time better over this four day weekend and completed or worked on some of the essays earlier, but I did not feel like it. Instead, I went to basketball practices, watched football, ate turkey and cheesecake, and slept. I apologize to anyone who thinks I procrastinated, but I deeply needed the rest and relaxation. Although the court case essay will be extremely boring to write, especially because it is an extremely boring concept in the first place, the other things I need to write will not be as difficult because I actually enjoy writing about what the prompts are. For the essay, I am going to talk about the endurance, will-power, and mental strength needed to camp out all night in sub-freezing temperatures in order to get a computer, television, and printer from Best Buy. I know some friends who participated in the festivities and I think this would be an interesting article, even though it has little if anything to do with sports. However, I know I can find a way to tie the aspect of sports into the column, so it should turn out to be a pretty tubular piece. My college application essays (Hope College and Wittenberg University) should be fairly easy as well. Hope's essay asks me to write about someone who has affected my life in a positive manner. I did not have to think long about this before I thought of my step-grandfather, Peer Baekgaard. A Danish immigrant, Peer was part of a small Danish army called the Danish Underground in World War II. However, he was taken prisoner of war by the Nazis at the age of seventeen. On his way to the concentration camp, Peer was able to write a note to his mother and slip it through the floorboards of the boxcar he was riding in, hoping it would one day reach his mother. At the concentration camp, he met many friends while only living off bread, butter, and soup every day. During one point of his stay in the prisoner of war camp, he was sentenced to be executed. However, the shelter which was holding all the papers for the prisoners was bombed by the British, eliminating Peer's papers. The camp officials no longer knew if Peer was sentenced to live or die, so his life was spared. One day, he woke to find that the camp gates were open. Not knowing if this was a sick prank being pulled by the Nazis, Peer and some fellow inmates fled the camp during nightfall. As they tried to walk back to Danmark, Peer and his companions hid during the day and travelled on foot during the nights. Little did they know that the open gates signaled the end of World War II. They made it home safely and Peer found that his mother had received his letter from the boxcar after all. When Peer was older, he immigrated to the United States. In New York City, he walked into the toy store FAO Schwartz and sold the store a dozen wooden boats he had made, which effectively started his imported gifts business that he named Baekgaard, Ltd. To this day, Baekgaard, Ltd. still sells men's and women's gifts. My grandma, Barbara Baekgaard, is one of the primary shareholders in the company, along with being the primary shareholder in Vera Bradley. I think it is amazing to see Peer's legacy live on to this day, even though he passed away July 21, 2007.
11.24.2008
Whitko Scrimmage and the Upcoming Holiday
On Saturday, the basketball team had our first semi-official game of the 2008-2009 season. We scrimmaged Whitko at our home gym in front of a pretty good crowd. The starters were freshmen Zach Terrell at the point guard, junior Desmon Powers at the shooting guard, me at the small forward, sophomore Evan Rhoades at the power forward, and junior Jay Curry at the center. We started off somewhat slow, but by the third quarter, the team started to click and we pulled away from the Wildcats. The great thing about our team is that we have great depth when it comes to a bench. We have guys who can come off the bench and hit a three pointer, grab a rebound, make an assist, or defend someone from scoring. That gives some of the guys a sense of comfort when it comes to leads in big games.
I wanted to get a dunk in the game, but the chance never presented itself. I will dunk in a game before the season is over; it's a guarantee. A lot of people ask me why I don't dunk enough and what these don't realize is that it is very difficult. I can not just stand under the basket, jump straight up, and flush the ball through the hoop. Rather, I need to get some momentum so I can take off with a better velocity to get up above the rim to throw the ball down. I can tell my critics that if and when the opportunity arises, I will be dunking the ball like a cop dunks a donut into his or her coffee. It's that simple. So until it happens, get off my back.
We ended up winning the scrimmage by about twenty or twenty-two points. A pretty solid performance overall. I finished the game with around sixteen or eighteen points. The scoring was spread amongst the guys fairly well, showing the balance our team has which will help us in the long run against deep teams. So now that this scrimmage is in the rearview mirror, our next target is Harding, who beat us last year sixty-one to fifty-eight in overtime. I'm excited to get the regular season started, but I'm not excited for my senior season to end. This entire season will have a bittersweet feeling.
Stepping away from basketball, Thanksgiving is the upcoming holiday on Thursday. However, I will not be eating turkey and all those goodies with my family. No, they will be in Seaside, Florida for Thanksgiving. I, however, will be home alone because I need to attend basketball practice on Wednesday after school, Friday morning, and Saturday morning. I am used to this feeling of abandonment, as it has happened to me twice in the past and will happen again once more after Thanksgiving. Last year, I was home alone for Thanksgiving break and for eight days over Winter Break. Although I knew my family was in fun places such as New York City and Seaside, I did pretty well on my own. I found that the freedom to do whatever I wanted to was actually a pretty fun and relaxing time. I would of course love to be in Florida during these bitterly cold winter weeks, but I am excited to get some rest and relaxation in the comfort of my home. I have been invited to eat at my Aunt Kathy's house for Thanksgiving in town and I have also been invited to eat with my good friend Mac Finley and his family. I'm basically set. Also, as a parting gift, my mother ordered me two Junior's New York Cheesecakes straight from the city themselves. Junior's possibly makes THE greatest cheesecakes in the world. And because cheesecake is my favorite dessert, I will be in heaven during the break just chowing away at the luscious treat. I will also be delivering Arby's to my friends Kyle Beutler and Patrick Veerkamp as they endevour on a brave journey to the Best Buy parking lot on Thanksgiving night to participate in the Black Friday festivities. If it were not for basketball practice the next morning at 10 a.m., I would be right there next to them wrapped up in my sleeping bag, sitting next to the battery powered space heater, inside a tiny tent, eating the pizza provided by Mrs. Hirschy.
I wanted to get a dunk in the game, but the chance never presented itself. I will dunk in a game before the season is over; it's a guarantee. A lot of people ask me why I don't dunk enough and what these don't realize is that it is very difficult. I can not just stand under the basket, jump straight up, and flush the ball through the hoop. Rather, I need to get some momentum so I can take off with a better velocity to get up above the rim to throw the ball down. I can tell my critics that if and when the opportunity arises, I will be dunking the ball like a cop dunks a donut into his or her coffee. It's that simple. So until it happens, get off my back.
We ended up winning the scrimmage by about twenty or twenty-two points. A pretty solid performance overall. I finished the game with around sixteen or eighteen points. The scoring was spread amongst the guys fairly well, showing the balance our team has which will help us in the long run against deep teams. So now that this scrimmage is in the rearview mirror, our next target is Harding, who beat us last year sixty-one to fifty-eight in overtime. I'm excited to get the regular season started, but I'm not excited for my senior season to end. This entire season will have a bittersweet feeling.
Stepping away from basketball, Thanksgiving is the upcoming holiday on Thursday. However, I will not be eating turkey and all those goodies with my family. No, they will be in Seaside, Florida for Thanksgiving. I, however, will be home alone because I need to attend basketball practice on Wednesday after school, Friday morning, and Saturday morning. I am used to this feeling of abandonment, as it has happened to me twice in the past and will happen again once more after Thanksgiving. Last year, I was home alone for Thanksgiving break and for eight days over Winter Break. Although I knew my family was in fun places such as New York City and Seaside, I did pretty well on my own. I found that the freedom to do whatever I wanted to was actually a pretty fun and relaxing time. I would of course love to be in Florida during these bitterly cold winter weeks, but I am excited to get some rest and relaxation in the comfort of my home. I have been invited to eat at my Aunt Kathy's house for Thanksgiving in town and I have also been invited to eat with my good friend Mac Finley and his family. I'm basically set. Also, as a parting gift, my mother ordered me two Junior's New York Cheesecakes straight from the city themselves. Junior's possibly makes THE greatest cheesecakes in the world. And because cheesecake is my favorite dessert, I will be in heaven during the break just chowing away at the luscious treat. I will also be delivering Arby's to my friends Kyle Beutler and Patrick Veerkamp as they endevour on a brave journey to the Best Buy parking lot on Thanksgiving night to participate in the Black Friday festivities. If it were not for basketball practice the next morning at 10 a.m., I would be right there next to them wrapped up in my sleeping bag, sitting next to the battery powered space heater, inside a tiny tent, eating the pizza provided by Mrs. Hirschy.
11.09.2008
Oops...
Well I kind of forgot to keep this blog going over the past week and a half or so. Hopefully Mr. Jankowski doesn't count me off. I guess I will just have to double up over the next week or so to catch up.
I had a great weekend. We had three days off so it was a much needed break. Thursday night, my mom and I drove to Holland, Michigan because we were going to visit Hope College the next day. We stayed in an amazingly contemporary hotel called the City Flats Hotel. It was crazy. The room had extremely high ceilings, two queen sized beds facing each other, and a flat screen television for each bed. The bathroom was big too. I could actually stand underneath the shower head, which is a great accomplishment for me. The toilet had two different flushing settings. Overall, it was a hotel that I wouldn't mind visiting again.
Hope College was great as well. I got a tour of the campus and got to meet with the head coach and a player from the basketball team for lunch. Both of them were very nice and welcoming. They made me feel welcome to the campus. The visit definitely put the college up to the top of my list. I now look at Hope as my favorite.
My favorite part of the visit, however, was visiting the DeVos Fieldhouse. This is the home of the Hope Flying Dutchmen basketball program. Some interesting facts about the facility:
-It can hold approximately 3,000 fans.
-It has been sold out every game since it's opening in 2005.
-It has a 6,500 pound scoreboard hanging over the court.
-The floor is parquet.
-The student section which basically sits on top of the court is called the Dew Crew.
-The team has only lost one game there since its opening.
-The team has led the NCAA Division III in attendance over the past 5 years.
I had a great weekend. We had three days off so it was a much needed break. Thursday night, my mom and I drove to Holland, Michigan because we were going to visit Hope College the next day. We stayed in an amazingly contemporary hotel called the City Flats Hotel. It was crazy. The room had extremely high ceilings, two queen sized beds facing each other, and a flat screen television for each bed. The bathroom was big too. I could actually stand underneath the shower head, which is a great accomplishment for me. The toilet had two different flushing settings. Overall, it was a hotel that I wouldn't mind visiting again.
Hope College was great as well. I got a tour of the campus and got to meet with the head coach and a player from the basketball team for lunch. Both of them were very nice and welcoming. They made me feel welcome to the campus. The visit definitely put the college up to the top of my list. I now look at Hope as my favorite.
My favorite part of the visit, however, was visiting the DeVos Fieldhouse. This is the home of the Hope Flying Dutchmen basketball program. Some interesting facts about the facility:
-It can hold approximately 3,000 fans.
-It has been sold out every game since it's opening in 2005.
-It has a 6,500 pound scoreboard hanging over the court.
-The floor is parquet.
-The student section which basically sits on top of the court is called the Dew Crew.
-The team has only lost one game there since its opening.
-The team has led the NCAA Division III in attendance over the past 5 years.
Here is a picture of what the fieldhouse looks like with all the fans decked out in Orange and Navy, the school's team colors:
I hope to continue my basketball career at Hope College. The program amazing and the people in and around the program are friendly and welcoming.
Saturday, I went down to Huntington to watch and play football with some guys from Huntington North. It was a fun day. Nothing like watching football with the guys. We were able to see Iowa knock off third ranked Penn State with a last second field goal, Alabama win in overtime against LSU, Texas Tech pummel Oklahoma State, and sadly see Notre Dame get shut out by Boston College. I hope my Irish can get out of the rut they have been in over the past few weeks.
Anyways, today I slept in because I had some back pains. When I woke up, I watched some football and sat around the house some more. I had to get a physical for basketball practice by tomorrow, so I got that done. Then I watched the Colts hold off the Steelers for a huge victory.
Tomorrow, basketball tryouts begin so that will be exciting. It seems like time flew during football season compared to last year because basketball season came up in a hurry. Our team should be very good this year, and I am hoping to be the favorites to win the Northeast Hoosier Conference title. However, I hope even more that our student section is crazy beyond belief. Nothing is better than playing in front of a loud, raucous crowd. From what I have heard, the student section will be crazy, but we'll have to see at our scrimmage on November 22 against Whitko and at our first home game on December 5 against Wayne.
10.19.2008
R.I.P. Rodney Thompson
I do not know how to write something like this. Under the circumstances, I would rather use this space to show hope and prayer.
Rodney was a friend of mine, a teammate of mine for seven years, and an unbelievable person. His love for life was evident every single day. He used humor to brighten the days of everyone. His laugh and smile would warm anyone up. The team will miss him without question. A few members of the team went to the crash site and just prayed for a few hours. These events bring people together more than they ever thought they would. The words I am typing now cannot describe the hurt I feel and the pain I have seen in the eyes of my friends.
Instead of talking about Rod, I want to use this time to reemphasize the people in my life who I love and who I am thankful for.
Mom and Dad- You guys have been my heroes my whole life. You two have raised me to be who I am today. Because of you, I know what I need to do in life and I have become a leader because of the values you have taught me and instilled in me. Without you, I do not know what I would do. Thank you so much for being there for me always and forever. I love you.
Molly, Teddy, and John- You three don't know how much I enjoy being your big brother. I consider it a privilege to look out for you guys when things are tough. I hope you see me as a good influence. I have made my foot steps so you can all follow in them. The best thing about you three, though, is that you look out for me too. This weekend when my life took a major turn, you were all there to comfort me and help me through this tough time. I love you.
Grandma Sandy, Daddy Rock, Birdie, Pop-Pop, Aunts, Uncles, extended family, etc.- You all are the glue that keeps me together. Thank you so much for always being there when I need you most. All of you know how to cheer me up and that is what I appreciate most. Your love for me is unbelievable. I know you would all go amazing distances to make sure I am all right, and that is why I love you all so much. You are all major parts in my life and I thank God for all of you every single day. I cherish the time we have together. I love you.
Mac, Kyle, Patrick, and Zach- You guys have been my core group of friends for as long as I can remember. I never take for granted the time I have with you guys because I now see that it can be taken away so fast, just like Rodney. You all have the ability to make me laugh and keep me in that comfort zone. You guys mean everything to me and I think of you guys as family. I will always cherish the moments we will have or have had together, even when we go off to school next year. I can only hope our friendships last until we leave each other for good and join Him in the heavens. I love you.
Basketball Teammates- We have been drawn closer because of the recent events. Rodney's passing will give us the opportunity to come together and show everyone how much we love him and how much we enjoy the time we have with each other. All of you guys have been through the thick and thin with me and I thank God every day for each of you too. You guys make up a part of my heart and soul and I will carry you with me wherever I go in life. Someday, we will be reunited with Rodney, and it will be glorious. I love you.
Friends- You all keep me going every day. You're the reason I wake up in the morning, why I go to school, why I can deal with tragedies like Rodney's death. Thank you all for being there for me always. I know most, if not all, of you will read this, but I feel that these words will reach you somehow. We can all come together in light of Rodney's passing and we will all be fine. God has a strange way of working, but He knows what He is doing. We just have to trust Him. I love you.
Rodney- Man, the tears have been falling for you. Why did you have to leave us so soon? The memories have been flooding my mind all weekend. Like you said, "Ain't nothing faster than 'pium.'" If only you were still here. I could bring you some of my mom's brownies, the ones you loved so much. You were always able to make me laugh. Even when we played on the same Y-ball team in 4th grade. I remember going to your house and playing video games. Your love for life made me love life even more. You were a good teammate and an even better friend and person. No amount of words can sum up how much I and others will miss you. It just doesn't seem fair, but God knows what He is doing. You are in a beautiful place now. And trust me, I know you will be looking down on me for the rest of my life. You may be gone, Rod, but you will never, ever be forgotten. I love you so much.
Rest In Peace Rodney Thompson.
October 17, 2008. Forever.
Rodney was a friend of mine, a teammate of mine for seven years, and an unbelievable person. His love for life was evident every single day. He used humor to brighten the days of everyone. His laugh and smile would warm anyone up. The team will miss him without question. A few members of the team went to the crash site and just prayed for a few hours. These events bring people together more than they ever thought they would. The words I am typing now cannot describe the hurt I feel and the pain I have seen in the eyes of my friends.
Instead of talking about Rod, I want to use this time to reemphasize the people in my life who I love and who I am thankful for.
Mom and Dad- You guys have been my heroes my whole life. You two have raised me to be who I am today. Because of you, I know what I need to do in life and I have become a leader because of the values you have taught me and instilled in me. Without you, I do not know what I would do. Thank you so much for being there for me always and forever. I love you.
Molly, Teddy, and John- You three don't know how much I enjoy being your big brother. I consider it a privilege to look out for you guys when things are tough. I hope you see me as a good influence. I have made my foot steps so you can all follow in them. The best thing about you three, though, is that you look out for me too. This weekend when my life took a major turn, you were all there to comfort me and help me through this tough time. I love you.
Grandma Sandy, Daddy Rock, Birdie, Pop-Pop, Aunts, Uncles, extended family, etc.- You all are the glue that keeps me together. Thank you so much for always being there when I need you most. All of you know how to cheer me up and that is what I appreciate most. Your love for me is unbelievable. I know you would all go amazing distances to make sure I am all right, and that is why I love you all so much. You are all major parts in my life and I thank God for all of you every single day. I cherish the time we have together. I love you.
Mac, Kyle, Patrick, and Zach- You guys have been my core group of friends for as long as I can remember. I never take for granted the time I have with you guys because I now see that it can be taken away so fast, just like Rodney. You all have the ability to make me laugh and keep me in that comfort zone. You guys mean everything to me and I think of you guys as family. I will always cherish the moments we will have or have had together, even when we go off to school next year. I can only hope our friendships last until we leave each other for good and join Him in the heavens. I love you.
Basketball Teammates- We have been drawn closer because of the recent events. Rodney's passing will give us the opportunity to come together and show everyone how much we love him and how much we enjoy the time we have with each other. All of you guys have been through the thick and thin with me and I thank God every day for each of you too. You guys make up a part of my heart and soul and I will carry you with me wherever I go in life. Someday, we will be reunited with Rodney, and it will be glorious. I love you.
Friends- You all keep me going every day. You're the reason I wake up in the morning, why I go to school, why I can deal with tragedies like Rodney's death. Thank you all for being there for me always. I know most, if not all, of you will read this, but I feel that these words will reach you somehow. We can all come together in light of Rodney's passing and we will all be fine. God has a strange way of working, but He knows what He is doing. We just have to trust Him. I love you.
Rodney- Man, the tears have been falling for you. Why did you have to leave us so soon? The memories have been flooding my mind all weekend. Like you said, "Ain't nothing faster than 'pium.'" If only you were still here. I could bring you some of my mom's brownies, the ones you loved so much. You were always able to make me laugh. Even when we played on the same Y-ball team in 4th grade. I remember going to your house and playing video games. Your love for life made me love life even more. You were a good teammate and an even better friend and person. No amount of words can sum up how much I and others will miss you. It just doesn't seem fair, but God knows what He is doing. You are in a beautiful place now. And trust me, I know you will be looking down on me for the rest of my life. You may be gone, Rod, but you will never, ever be forgotten. I love you so much.
Rest In Peace Rodney Thompson.
October 17, 2008. Forever.
10.12.2008
College Stuff and All That Jazz
My least favorite thing to do lately has been to think about the future. College, basketball, majors, location, all that stuff that deals with the next four years. It's one of the biggest decisions we'll have to make in the upcoming months, yet I'm not excited at all. The whole process is overwhelming for me. I've realized that now I need to make the most of these last few months with my friends and family because I won't be seeing much of them over the next few years.
I know a few things about what I want in a college. I want to play basketball wherever I go, I want the school to be in a cool location, I want the school to have a unique campus, and I want to study business managment or marketing (some kind of business).
This weekend, I travelled with my mom to Schenectady and Saratoga Springs, New York to check out some schools out there where I may play basketball. We flew out of Fort Wayne on Friday morning around 6 a.m. After stopping in Cleveland, we flew into Albany around 9 a.m., making it a nice, short trip. Upon arrival, we drove about 10 miles to a small town called Schenectady, where Union College is located. My mom and I drove up to the campus and immediately noticed how beautiful the campus was. The campus buildings were amazing, greek houses lined the streets, and big areas of green grass were all over the place. It probably helped to have perfect weather, but the campus was without a doubt an amazing place. Even the girls were beautiful, which is always a plus. The only problem we found was that the school didn't have a set Business Marketing or Management degree, only Managerial Economics which may or may not be the same thing. We walked around, bought a Union College basketball shirt, and decided to head to Saratoga Springs where we were staying for the weekend. It was about a half hour away. As we pulled onto the main street of Saratoga Springs, which was Broadway, we immediately noticed how cool this upstated New York town was. It had the feel of a quaint little town, but had major shopping stores like GAP, Starbucks, and Borders. Home of a major horse racing track, the town gets busy in the early summer for about 5 months.
Skidmore College is right in town, and that is where I was visiting. The coaching staff had been in touch with me for a while and I was excited to meet the guys on the team and play with them. On Friday, I met the coaches for the first time in person and was able to get a tour of the campus. Although it wasn't as beautiful as Union College's campus, the school was still very cool. It didn't have a football team though. One former student said that Acapella was like football at this school, and that caused some red flags to go up. I met some of the guys on the team, and they took me around the campus which was cool. They took me and another recruit named Tucker from New Jersey to the food court, so to say. It was pretty awesome. Many different stations which served all kinds of food. I was able to get a great meal before going back to one of the guys' dorm to play video games. After a quick game of NBA 2k8, we went over to the gym to play some ball. My team was pretty good. One kid on our team named Melvis could jump out of the gym. He was about 6'2" but had possibly a 40'' vertical leap. It was incredible. We played a good amount of games and I held my own. I think some of the guys were impressed with my play, or at least I hope.
Overall, the trip was a great experience. It really opened my eyes to schools out in the east. I hope in the future I can take another trip out east to visit those type of schools.
I know a few things about what I want in a college. I want to play basketball wherever I go, I want the school to be in a cool location, I want the school to have a unique campus, and I want to study business managment or marketing (some kind of business).
This weekend, I travelled with my mom to Schenectady and Saratoga Springs, New York to check out some schools out there where I may play basketball. We flew out of Fort Wayne on Friday morning around 6 a.m. After stopping in Cleveland, we flew into Albany around 9 a.m., making it a nice, short trip. Upon arrival, we drove about 10 miles to a small town called Schenectady, where Union College is located. My mom and I drove up to the campus and immediately noticed how beautiful the campus was. The campus buildings were amazing, greek houses lined the streets, and big areas of green grass were all over the place. It probably helped to have perfect weather, but the campus was without a doubt an amazing place. Even the girls were beautiful, which is always a plus. The only problem we found was that the school didn't have a set Business Marketing or Management degree, only Managerial Economics which may or may not be the same thing. We walked around, bought a Union College basketball shirt, and decided to head to Saratoga Springs where we were staying for the weekend. It was about a half hour away. As we pulled onto the main street of Saratoga Springs, which was Broadway, we immediately noticed how cool this upstated New York town was. It had the feel of a quaint little town, but had major shopping stores like GAP, Starbucks, and Borders. Home of a major horse racing track, the town gets busy in the early summer for about 5 months.
Skidmore College is right in town, and that is where I was visiting. The coaching staff had been in touch with me for a while and I was excited to meet the guys on the team and play with them. On Friday, I met the coaches for the first time in person and was able to get a tour of the campus. Although it wasn't as beautiful as Union College's campus, the school was still very cool. It didn't have a football team though. One former student said that Acapella was like football at this school, and that caused some red flags to go up. I met some of the guys on the team, and they took me around the campus which was cool. They took me and another recruit named Tucker from New Jersey to the food court, so to say. It was pretty awesome. Many different stations which served all kinds of food. I was able to get a great meal before going back to one of the guys' dorm to play video games. After a quick game of NBA 2k8, we went over to the gym to play some ball. My team was pretty good. One kid on our team named Melvis could jump out of the gym. He was about 6'2" but had possibly a 40'' vertical leap. It was incredible. We played a good amount of games and I held my own. I think some of the guys were impressed with my play, or at least I hope.
Overall, the trip was a great experience. It really opened my eyes to schools out in the east. I hope in the future I can take another trip out east to visit those type of schools.
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