portlan

The Path We Traveled

I am going to be a little real. Sometimes doing so much it gets people wondering in day-to-day life asking about how I can do so much.

Economic competitions, leadership camps, writing books, repairing, analyzing data files and that’s just over the past two weeks. Not including the work when it comes to my classes and volunteer work. Not including projects I may not talk about as much, and while I am happy to do it, because I think it should be done and no one else is getting to it.

I sometimes give myself a rest. Call it pulling the armor off. Just relax and breath to see the lay of the land of where we had gotten.

Six years ago, I was on the streets. Before that I was using this for goofy t-shirt design and just being a loud voice on the internet that seemed to be full of them. Being goofy I will never say no to on its own. The first posts of this blog go back to 2013, and it has been an odd but entertaining cross section in my life. Definitely was learning involved in the time frame.

It was strange because I am still that angry person but back then I was the person that knew nothing but to rage because he had not been taught a thing else. Family was brutal and abusive, friends were few and unable to help, and it just felt like the world was against you, and it was true because it was. Since then, I have gotten to university, flown to the nations capital, worked with policy centers and presented to the federal reserve. I have written books, and done more than a hundred different recipes for different projects and over the time I had to learn how to be social in a way I was never used to.

Kevin Nash, who is sneaky smart had a line in a promo that I think fits.

“A funny thing happened on the way to getting here, as I got older, I got wiser.”

Anytime I can work a wrestling quote that makes sense I will. There is a difference but who I am then and who I am now have changed to some degree, I have become cagier and I have been the one to make more positive out of the negative.  I am still the angry person that wants to make things better and cannot stand stupidity without reason. Just sometimes it is important to take your helmet off and look back at the path once traveled

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Starting Over Six Year Later – Community Service

6 Years. That is the amount of time I have invested in this rebirth, coming from the streets and working my way step by step, and over the posts. Just over half a decade to change your life, and it has not been easy, but it has been moving in the right direction. Since starting Portland state my time volunteering has been tracked with a couple outliers due to me not understanding the system or not caring to in the first couple months. I didn’t think it would amount to much then. I started my journey coming back 6 years ago and here are all the committees I have or currently been on.

PCC

Educational Advisory committee 09/22-24 (student representative 2 terms)

            Academic Policies and Standards (2 terms)

            Curriculum Committee (2 Terms)

            Degrees and Certificates Committee (2 Terms)

            Membership committee (2 Terms)

            Student Development committee (2 Terms)

ASPCC Executive Committee (23-24) (1 Term)

            Finance subcommittee (22-23) (1 Term) (Chair)

PCC Live to Drive Committee (23-24) (1 Term)

Earth Day Committee (22-24) (2 Terms)

Sustainability Committee (24-25) (1 Term)

            ADEC (25-26) Current 1 term

            CACC (25-26) Current 1 term

Washington County

Metzger Park Local Improvement District Advisory Board (22-24) (1 Term)            

Multnomah County

Disability Services Advisory Council (24-Current) (1 Term)

Council for Economic Dignity (24- Current) (1 term)

Department of County Assets Cbac (24-25) Changes in calculation merged these two

Department of County Management Cbac (24-25) (1 Term each)

DCA/DCM CBAC (25-current)                              

Central CBAC (2025) (1 Term) Co-Chair

Goose Hollow Foothills League

Elections Subcommittee (2024) (1 Term)

Trimet

Committee for Accessible Transportation (23-Current) (1 term)

                 Lift subcommittee (23-Current) Co-chair (1 Term)

SAGE

Leaders Action Board (2024-Current) (1 Term)

CHNW

Goose Hollow Tenant Council (2024) (Facilitator/Chair) (1 Term)

PSU

Student Legal Service Action Board (2024-2025) (Chair) (1 Term)

Student Media Service Action Board (2025) Stepped down to try for Editor

Legislative Scholar (2024-25) (1 Term)

District 4 Coalition

Land Use and Transportation (2025 – Current) (1 Term)

State of Oregon

Oregon Dsac – Multnomah County DSAC Rep (2025 – current) (1 term)

Now granted there is some funny paperwork, the cbacs actually had not been merged so I am by the paperwork in for both of them separately and the merged version. County code. 10 different groups. 30 Committees and sub committees for 37 terms and chairing 5 times

All of this shows up save for the PCC is seen in my work volunteering where since the start of the school year last year (September 24) I am looking at about 290 volunteer hours on top of being a double bachelor student.

I have helped make decisions in the school, advocate for handling business ourselves, got programs started and kept some under budget. Allowed people opportunities because of good decision making and all of this has been in six very seemingly short years.

I have competed in finance competitions; I have made the thousand-pound club in weightlifting with bum knees. I have written books, that people have read, not many obviously, but some have, and they enjoyed it. Looking back sometimes it’s odd how far you see the path behind you stretch and realize things may be in range if you give yourself some credit.

Just a thought.

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