I come from the Central Valley of California. From childhood through college I was a poor student. Learning was difficult for many reasons, but probably the biggest reason was that I would rather play than study and never developed the habits and skill sets necessary to be a good student. I was, however, a good athlete and spent most of my time pursuing my interest in sports. Athletics taught me to believe in myself, the importance of teamwork, and instilled the discipline and hard work required to achieve goals that you set for yourself. But most importantly, it taught me to never give up on yourself or your team. I didn’t take the SAT test but was admitted to San Francisco State simply because they wanted me to play football. At SF State I majored in Physical Education and graduated with a degree in Therapeutic Recreation. For the first five years after graduation, I worked in the community mental health field with chronic schizophrenics who, after years of confinement in State Mental Hospitals, were being released back into the communities where they had once lived. Working with this group of people taught me compassion for those less fortunate than I. It made me aware of the discrimination that people who are different must endure, and I became the the fortunate recipient of the gratefulness they displayed for being treated with kindness. It also taught that all humans are a little bit crazy—a lesson that has served me well throughout both my professional and personal lives.