Favorite Quote:

“Today is your opportunity to build the tomorrow you want.”

– Ken Poirot

What is your greatest achievement?

I started playing volleyball at the age of 8 and knew I wanted to be a college athlete. After years of training I not only became a college athlete, but also a 2x Libero of the Year and 2x All-American selection in Volleyball.

What is a challenge that has defined who you are today?

My goal for as long as I can remember was to play Division 1 volleyball. When I accepted a scholarship to play at the Division 2 level, I thought I had failed. This wasn’t my original goal and I thought that the past 10 years of training were all for nothing, but that is when I came to understand that goals can change and that what needs to be a non-negotiable is the effort that I put in. I think falling short of my initial goal pushed me to be better in the long run. I didn’t want to feel that way again, so I spent my college career working harder than I ever had. That hard work paid off and I started every match of my college career and ended my career as the highest ranked libero in Division 2.

What do you love about coaching students?

My favorite part of coaching students is getting to be part of their day to day lives and being there for all of the little successes along the way. Everyone recognizes when someone achieves a big goal, but that end result is just a small part of the process. I like getting to be there every step of the way and getting to know the students throughout the process. I get to be there on the hard days to remind students what they are working towards and to cheer them on for the small wins that lead up to reaching those giant accomplishments. There is so much potential within all of us and I love getting to help students unlock that within themselves.

My background in sports has made me value hard work. I’ve seen what hard work can do. In team sports I learned to hold not only myself to a high standard, but also the people around me. I know how to be a team player and push others.

“There is so much potential within all of us and I love getting to help students unlock that within themselves.”

When I’m not coaching at gt.school, I coach volleyball and spend time with my niece and nephews.

What is the most important lesson you have learned from a coach?

No one just wakes up one day and becomes the best at something. If you want to be the best, you have to make that decision and spend every day working to get there.