Why?
Ever since I was little, I dreamed of becoming a professional athlete in football or basketball, with a stronger inclination towards football. However, my talent and size quickly dispelled those dreams. Not that I'm salty or anything; it just wasn’t in the cards for me. One dream that did come true was attending Texas A&M. I didn’t care much about the degree as long as I could be an Aggie, so I followed in my brother's footsteps and pursued a degree in Communications/Media.
I never enjoyed math or science and didn't want to be stuck in an office. I admired my dad’s entrepreneurial spirit and the freedom he had running his own business. I craved the freedom to work whenever I wanted, without being too technical, and to spend some time outdoors. Despite having some ideas, nothing solid materialized.
After graduating, I stayed with HEB and traveled for a year using my sister’s flight benefits from American Airlines. That experience changed everything. I fell in love with traveling. If I couldn’t travel for work, I didn’t want to be part of it. So, whatever my future career was, it had to involve traveling. One day, while working in the parking lot, I considered joining the FBI. It seemed like a cool place to work, allowing me to serve others and, most importantly, travel. But joining the FBI isn't simple. The plan was to start at a local police station and gain enough experience to apply later.
Over four years, I applied to Texas A&M Police twice, Bryan PD once, and Honolulu PD once. I even tried to apply for Miami but didn’t get the chance. My communication skills hindered my hiring process. After getting the final rejection from Bryan PD, I was out of options. Crying out to God in the bathroom after the rejection call, I felt the word "photography" come to mind. I believe this was divine intervention, as I had been praying for a new career for years. It made sense.
I love people. One of my biggest desires in becoming a police officer was to help others. While photography may not be as heroic as law enforcement, it is still service-oriented and allows me to meet many people. With my own photography business, I can work outside, set my schedule, avoid too much technical work, and not be confined to an office—though there is plenty of editing involved.
Since receiving that word from the Lord, I've pursued photography passionately. Day by day, photo by photo, edit by edit, I am inching toward my goal. I'm not where I want to be yet, but I recognize how far I've come. The road is long and tough, but nothing good comes easy, and there's been plenty of character development. The Lord has used the photography business to shape who I am today and will continue to use it. I have a dream, and the only options now are to carry on or quit. God hasn’t told me to stop, so here we go.
