Forrest Gump once stated, “Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you are going to get.” This could not be more of a factual statement. Life has throw a lot at me in my eighteen and a half years of life so far. However, I would not change any of my experiences on this earth at all.

I was born in a small South Carolina town by the name of Spartanburg on May 19, 2001. I was raised in Union, SC, another small town nearby. My life has been one that involves Jesus Christ, sports, and family. I began going to church as a toddler, and I have gone ever since. I became a Christian at the age of five and Jesus Christ has always played a big role in my life. Sports have literally been in my life since before my mother even conceived me. As the only child, my father had the perfect name picked out for his only son. My father named me “Brett” after two great baseball players: Brett Butler, former centerfielder for the Atlanta Braves, and George Brett, Hall of Fame third baseman from the Kansas City Royals. My mother went along with this name because she had always loved the former Packers Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre. Jesus Christ, sports, and family are three pillars in my life that also have helped me reach new heights and led me to places I thought I would never go.

Before entering high school, I transferred school districts and enrolled at Clinton High School in Clinton, SC. To this day, that was one of the best decisions I have ever made in my entire life. The town and community of Clinton created a second family for me, but also opened many doors for me that otherwise would have not been able to happen. Through Clinton High School, I learned of a program at Clemson University called the Summer Scholars Program. Through this program, middle school and high school students are able to experience the lives of a Clemson student for one week in the summer. This program was made for me, because my childhood dream school was Clemson. So, in the summer before my senior year of high school, I attended a sports communications at Clemson. There, I met another rising senior from Asheville, NC by the name of Colby Cook. Colby’s dream was the same as mine, which is to become one of the greatest broadcasters of all-time. Colby and I bonded over the week of the camp and we stayed in touch after the camp. We both applied to Clemson in August, and in February, we both found out that we were waitlisted by Clemson. This meant that Colby and I were neither rejected nor accepted. At the time, this was devastating news because my college future in up in the air. The only school I had applied to was Clemson. However, looking back on this moment, God was again working in a mysterious way.

After I got waitlisted by Clemson, Colby told me about a small private institution in Georgia by the name of Piedmont College. He knew that the both of us were going to go to college for sports communications, and Colby could not stop bragging about Piedmont’s sports communications program. I listened to Colby and I applied to Piedmont. I visited, I fell in love, and I committed. I could have not went through more of a tough process. My childhood dream of attending Clemson University was not meant to be. However, my dream of becoming the greatest sports broadcaster of all-time is still alive. Coming to Piedmont College was one of the best decisions I ever made. As a second year student thus far at Piedmont, I have joined The Roar as the sports editor, became the Assistant Radio Station of WPCZ and the President of Piedmont Debate. I have also became the unofficial “voice of the Piedmont Lions” as I am also involved with broadcasting Piedmont sports. My journey thus far has brought me to Georgia. However, my story is still being written. After all, like Forrest said, “You never know what you are going to get.”