What do you remember from your time at Gilbert?: "I remember a few things. One of the biggest parts of Gilbert for me was the band. Mr. Minnerly, or 'Min' as we called him, was a very great role model. I was able to be part of marching bands, concert bands, and jazz bands. I also remember having Ms. Lewis as both my Honors English teacher and my AP Literature teacher as well. Those were some quality times. I also keep in contact with a decent chunk of my friends from Gilbert over the years. We have a group chat once in a while."
What lessons from Gilbert have you applied to the real world?: "Always make sure you look out for your teammate. I was involved with soccer at Gilbert and we all worked cohesively pretty well. We didn't win all the time, but we knew how to have each other's backs. I was also part of the National Honor Society at Gilbert. From what I remember, I had to speak on integrity or character. I brought both of them through college and to my work. At the end of the day, you are only as good as you've treated people and you are only as good as your word. I try to keep my word, work hard, and be an all-around great person. I took those from Gilbert and ran with it."
What advice would you give to current students at Gilbert?: "Keep working at it. Tough times don't last forever, but tough people do. Don't let this pandemic, that one failing grade, or that one negative comment that someone made towards you determine the rest of your day, week, month, or year. It always gets better. You just have to keep pushing forward and aim towards the horizon because things do get better. It might seem bleak at the moment, but there is always someone out there willing to help. There's always something you can do to not only better your horizons but maybe also help others. In turn, it can have a trickle-down effect. Keep working toward your goals and it will all turn out okay at some point."
