These past four years at Western have been a roller coaster of experiences.

There were the bad times, but more importantly, there were the good times that outweigh those low points in my college career. As a soon-to-be graduate of Western, I can look back and see how much I have grown mentally, physically, and most importantly, intellectually.

As well as having the opportunity to receive a great education, I was fortunate enough to have played four years of Division I soccer, making me one of the last four senior soccer players at WKU.

The experiences I have been afforded by Western will carry me on a path to greater things.

My first couple of years at Western were important times of growth and transition. I was 17 when I came to college, and the idea that I was a Division I soccer player brought about a lot of pride, which would soon be crushed after my first semester.

I expected a lot out of my first semester in college. I looked to breeze through classes with ease, as well as on the soccer field.

I did manage to do well in the classroom, ending my first semester with a 3.8 grade point average, but on the field I managed to play only four games.

This obviously was a very disappointing time. This disappointment carried over into my second semester in which I did not participate in any practices or games due to a failed fitness test. My lack of participation that semester was probably the lowest point in my career and for a short period, I strongly considered transferring to another university.

My experiences during that time taught me that not everything was going to be easy, and that I had to overcome adversity.

When I had finally learned to persevere in the face of adversity, things began to get better. The following fall season I earned my first soccer letter, as well as a perfect 4.0 GPA, which was only the beginning of an amazing career.

My junior year was the highlight of my all four years. I played in every game except one, starting 10 straight games; I was voted ESPN the Magazine First-Team Academic All District IV as well as Missouri Valley Conference First Team Scholar Athlete, and I was also chosen to be featured in a student-athlete spotlight, representing men’s soccer.

Moving onto my final year, again I was featured in the majority of our games, and again I received the same two awards as I had the previous year, but this time I was voted ESPN the Magazine Third-Team Academic All-American.

Receiving these prestigious awards came as a major shock to me at the time, but none more than the news that the men’s soccer program would be discontinued effective immediately.

I was fortunate enough to have finished out my eligibility, but I was deeply saddened by the news because many of the younger players that were affected were men who I helped to recruit and had the privilege to watch grow up and improve as I had done years before.

I think the thing that hurt me the most, was that I would not be able to return to Western and see the program grow and succeed.

I think my Western experiences have definitely brought about pain and disappointment, but yet, out of all that heartache, these moments were the exciting times of my career.

I have seen myself grow from a 17-year-old inexperienced, immature kid, to a 21-year-old more experienced man ready to take on new challenges that are ahead.

As I now look forward to graduate school at Purdue in pursuit of a doctorate in biochemistry, I will always look back on my Western experience and cherish the moments that I was able to share with this great Hilltopper family.