When I was 14 years old I remember one of my mentors coming in an teaching me how to hang my first light. I was still in Middle School and I was excited because I was invited to a weekend helping the high school out with a lighting call. That mentor would later be a programmer for me in one of my designs, and eventually my boss, Dwayne Thomas.

Once I reached High School I was doing a ton of design and then college I was doing even more. I met some of the most influential people not only in my life, but in my career during college. My inspiration and mentor Derrick Johnson was and will always be the master at bringing the best out of not just me, but out of people he surrounds himself with. He not only taught me that it was ok to dream…but he taught me it was a requirement to advance in this business. There is no task that really scares me, it’s all about figuring out how to execute it. And that is the best part…even if it doesn’t happen in the end. Derrick Johnson has instilled in me the desire to spread the knowledge and empower my students much like he did with me…and it’s an incredibly gratifying feeling to know that my students will probably have even better careers than I have had.

In college there would be shows where I would have $200.00 and I had to make everything stretch…I find it absolutely crazy now that I have budgets that have exceeded 6 figures multiple times and it still astounds me the trust that has been placed in my abilities.

So now we come to my professional career, where I have worked for Disney World, Lighting Design Firms, and now currently First Baptist Church Orlando. I would have never imagined in a million years that I would have had high production experiences while working at a church. But the truth is I have traveled all around the world and had some of my best moments while working in this facility. I have students that range from 11-20 and they are really some of the biggest reason I feel I have been successful here.

It’s been a wild ride that is definitely not over yet, I”m about to go light the Royal Albert Hall in London and that will be a career milestone for me. Stay tuned for many more updates !