Growing up in the United States, I always felt alien. Moving to the United States at the age of nine, I was introduced to a whole new world in which I did not understand the language or the culture. I was never supposed to move here. I never attended the special schools where you learn English. For a kid who saw his first black and white TV at the age of eight, coming to Los Angeles a year later – it was quite shocking.
There were many hurdles I faced in school: being mistaken for a Native American – I was asked “what is my tribe? Cherokee Navajo?” I quickly discovered that not only was I ignorant about what was going on, but so were my peers and teachers.
My parents left California when I was 15 and moved to the Seattle area in search of a better life. Seeing my parents struggle, working multiple jobs, I learned how difficult life for an immigrant can be. I knew that I had to find a way to get myself out of the cycle. After completing the running start program at a local college, which allowed me to graduate high school while going to college, I got my first corporate job in Information Technology at the age of 19. I was the first in my family to graduate college but I was not done yet, as that was only an AAS degree and I wanted more. Over the years, I convinced my employer to pay for my bachelor’s degree, and a few years later, I was the first in my family to have a bachelor’s degree.
In the midst of all of this, I married my wife and had two amazing kids, Ashlyn and Shawn, and became a soccer coach, soccer team manager, and referee: whatever would be required. I also found other hobbies that I could enjoy with the kids, including snowboarding, off-roading, motorcycling, and traveling.
After working in corporate IT for over a decade, and working with organizations on their compliance challenges, I found my calling. I really developed a liking for the compliance world and I started inTech Consulting. It was scary! I had no idea what I was doing! Within a couple of months, we had employees and an office. It was pretty amazing; I had old colleagues and teammates that put their trust in me and gave me opportunities. These opportunities have allowed me and inTech to flourish.
Today, I am proud to call myself an American, an entrepreneur, a husband and a dad. I am not done evolving. I am not done learning. As inTech Consulting continues to grow into IT and compliance, I continue to challenge myself to be a better version of myself daily.
Life has been challenging but I think it’s the challenges that have helped me put the right spices into this incredible journey. I am proud of the work we do, as it directly secures and protects American interests and lives.
