In the late 90s, my parents started a youth camp in a small town that I'm certain you've never heard of called Andrews, N.C. Some people thought they were crazy trying to run a Christian youth camp in the middle of nowhere, but they didn't care. My parents were steadfast in what God called upon them to do.
Needless to say, faith has guided their entire lives, and it's made a difference in countless others. Today, that little camp they started is now known as Snowbird Wilderness Outfitters, and it hosts 15,000-16,000 students every year and is considered one of the biggest youth camps on the East Coast.
My parents have always been my biggest inspirations for their unwavering faith in God and how they've used His light to impact so many. But there came a point in time as I was a boy becoming a man when I had to decide how I wanted to live my life. I had to answer God's calling when it came to football, college, and living a life that would honor His grace and bless others as much as He has blessed me.
My upbringing and family
I didn't necessarily have a traditional upbringing like most kids. I wasn't sitting inside watching TV or movies and playing video games. I always wanted to be outside snowboarding with the rest of the kids at camp or helping out in any way that I could.
I could see how this lifestyle and upbringing wouldn't be for everyone, but I can honestly say I love my small town and Snowbird and wouldn't have wanted it any other way. I also didn't have a traditional family, which is also something I'm grateful for and has shaped me into the man I am today.
I have two biological siblings and three siblings who have been adopted into the family. Malachi, my youngest brother, is a super interesting story in itself. Malachi was in my mom's tutor program when he was in first or second grade, so she got to know him and developed a relationship with him through that program. Malachi's mom struggles with addiction, and his dad wasn't ever really in the picture, but my mom knows his mom very well and has been supportive of her and everything she goes through on a daily basis.
Long story short, my mom was taking Malachi home from a tutoring session one day and a DSS worker was there. Knowing that my family opens our home as a transition house for kids that get thrown into foster care and provide them with a stable home until they find a family, Malachi's mom asked if my mom would take him. My mom didn't blink an eye.
From that day forward, with Malachi's mom trusting my family with her son's care, we welcomed him into our home, and we now have full custody of Malachi.
I couldn't be more grateful to the community for believing in us and all the good we're trying to do, but I'm even more blessed to have a new sibling that I'll always be proud to call my brother in Malachi.
A place to always call home
Giving back and impacting others is what my family's devoted their entire lives to, which has always stuck with me and been a part of me. This is exemplified even further in Andrews, where, it's not to say the town is impoverished or anything, but there is a fair amount of brokenness and people that struggle with addiction. That's why my parents are so passionate about Snowbird, tutoring programs, nonprofits, etc. because they don't want to see these kids make some of the same mistakes their parents did.
That was the reason my parents started Snowbird in the first place – to give kids an opportunity to know God and live their lives with a servant heart. And most importantly, have all sorts of fun and experiences they'll never forget.
In the last several years, though, with all of the success at Snowbird, the camp's branched off and expanded in a lot of different ways. Thanks to my mom, the aforementioned tutoring has had a significant influence on the community. We've hosted football camps for special needs kids.
About 10 or 15 years ago, my parents planted a church that we have missionaries based out of, including my sister and brother-in-law. I don't always take the time to sit back and reflect on everything my parents accomplished with this idea they thought of almost 30 years ago, but it leaves me nothing short of inspired to think of how many lives they've touched and the profound impact they've had on the community. For this reason, I knew no matter where life took me, Andrews would always be home.
Blessing in disguise
Anyone who's played for a small school knows that the 'best' athlete is typically the quarterback. I come from an incredibly athletic family, so by default, I played quarterback in high school. But if I'm being honest, I was never in love with the position. It's always been my dream to play wide receiver, and if you know anything about me, I'm determined.
I'd drive two hours to Gainesville, GA to train and learn from some of the best about what I could do to become a DI wide receiver. I'd also drive 90 minutes to Asheville, NC three days out of the week because I was so hungry and willing to learn, train, and attend any camp I needed to in order to play wide receiver. Then COVID hit, and I kind of felt like my dreams got crushed. All the camps got shut down, in addition to my training in Gainesville and Asheville. I was devastated.
But my family and I continued to pray knowing God had a plan for me somehow through all of this. And He did.
I ended up transferring to a private boarding school in Georgia called Rabun Gap. Not only was I offered the chance to play receiver, all my training and hard work paid off because I flourished on the field at that position.
After my first season, I had all these offers to play at the next level. I reclassified and played two more seasons at Rabun Gap, and that's how I ended up at Virginia Tech. I thought COVID shutting down my camps and training was a curse, but it turned out to be a blessing in disguise because I likely never would have transferred to Rabun Gap and had the opportunity to play at Virginia Tech otherwise.
God's plan is always greater than our own, and I can undoubtedly say His plan has given me the greatest experience of my life playing receiver for the Hokies.
God has a plan
I might be five hours away from home, but I carry a part of my hometown with me everywhere I go, including Blacksburg. Serving those in need and loving others is something I strive to do every single day. It's how I was raised, and as I've gotten older, I came to understand it's my calling. Just like it's been for my parents.
I've realized life isn't always going to go your way. Both on and off the field, I've been challenged in more ways than I can count. But I've always believed that if I remain steadfast in my faith and trust in God's plan, He'll see me through any challenges or obstacles that come my way.
I want to help others do the same, especially for the disadvantaged youth at Snowbird. Because no matter who you are or where you come from, God has a plan and calling for every single one of us.
It's up to us in answering the call.
