What did you do after Valley? Where did your life take you? 

I graduated from Vanguard University, where I played four years of basketball, in 2008. I met my wife, Brittney, at Vanguard and we have lived in Southern California ever since. I am fortunate enough to be the Men’s Basketball assistant coach at VU. The best part of life is our first son, Griffin David, who was born on February 20, 2014.

Tell us a little about your daily work:
I love my job, because of the impact I get to have on college guys. Using the game of basketball, I get to mold leaders of men. Our goal is to build Godly leaders, on the court and off. We have been fortunate to see a lot of success on the court, and this past season won the 2014 NAIA National Title. It is blessing to do what I do, and I am very grateful for the opportunity.

What’s one surprising thing we don’t know about you?

I once beat Haags and Timmer in a wing-eating contest at Native.

Not really. Convinced it is not possible.

While you were at VCHS, which teachers, coaches or classmates had the biggest impact on you?
Among the faculty, Coach Haagsma and Coach Timmer made the greatest impacts on my life. Coach Haagsma is a major reason I am a coach today, and his leadership and impact is tough to match. Coach Timmer gave me the confidence to play college basketball. They are two of the best coaches I have ever been around, but most importantly, both men exemplified what it is to compete as Men of Christ – making disciples of Jesus who compete to succeed in every area of life. Among my classmates, all of my teammates made an impact on my life, but especially David Mehlhorn (the greatest athlete to ever attend VCHS) and Ty Nelson, who are like brothers to me.

How do you stay connected with your friends from Valley and VCHS?
Through Haags, Troy Thelen, and Bryan Winfrey. All of those guys love Valley and have made a major impact on lives at VC for the past 10+ years (Haags for 40…maybe 50). Most of my high school friends are still in Phoenix, so I try to connect with them as much as possible when I visit.

What’s one lasting memory you have of VCHS?
There were so many incredible memories at Valley – too many to count, including many in the classroom or hanging outside of school. Basketball camps growing up, playing baseball with Kyle Smith, and winning state titles in 2002 and 2003 were great moments, but I think my favorite memory is the 2004 basketball team. Watching Haags take a team who lost so many great players from the year before and still instill confidence and belief in us. We had three seniors who worked hard and believed, and some young guys like Brett Urig, Ben Bergsma, and Nic Van Weelden who bought into the team-first attitude. It was an incredible team that came up one game short of a three-peat, but I am proud of the way we competed and loved each other.

Do you have any advice for current students? 
Own your faith – make it yours! College is a blast, and life continues to get better and better after you finish. There will be temptations to measure success like the world does, but you have to fight that. It is crucial that you know who you are and whose you are to be able to impact the world. There is a need for men and women of God to go and make a difference, and willingness to love, serve, and be used is the first step. There is nothing more fulfilling and joyful than knowing you are being used by God!