In high school I:

• Was rejected from 10/12 colleges I applied to.
• Had average SAT scores.
• Failed every single AP test that I took.
• Nearly failed geometry, chemistry, and trigonometry.
• Was Ranked in the middle of my class.
• Was mocked by classmates who made fun of me by saying I didn’t get into a prestigious college and that I could never succeed like them.

As of May 17th, 2020, I’m a graduate of St. John’s University, and during my time in college I have:

• Earned a cumulative GPA of 4.0.
• Commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the U.S. Army.
• Was ranked the #3 ROTC cadet in America.
• Was selected by Poets and Quants as one of the top 100 business students in America.
• Created The Society of Growth and Success.
• Was accepted to the 2 most prestigious organizations at St. John’s University (SJU).
• Participated in 2 and led 1 mission trip in 3 different U.S. States.
• MOST IMPORTANTLY, I developed my faith and relationship with God.

Why do I mention this? I mention this to make one point: Your past does not determine your future.

Coming into college, I was well aware of my past. I realized that I hadn’t done as well as I could in high school. However, instead of letting my past define me, I enabled in to drive me forward and pursue excellence in all that I did in college. I knew I had more to me, and college was my opportunity to prove it.

So, when the first day of college came, I was ready. I was ready for a clean slate. I knew that this was my time to see what I could do. However, I honestly would have never thought that I would achieve what I achieved. Quite frankly, I take no credit for it, as I give all the credit to God for blessing me with the ability to accomplish these things.

The main purpose of this blog post is to lay the foundation for our “Succeeding in college series.” In this series, I will reflect on many of my accomplishments/failures and reflect upon the many lessons I learned in college. If you stick with me, you gain tangible strategies and tactics that will enable you to accomplish literally ANYTHING you want to in college.

I wanted to preface this series by showing you my transformation. Success in college is determined upon what you do in the HERE and NOW. It’s not determined by what you did in the past. I could care less if you had a 70 average in high school. If you can come into college, and follow what we lay out for you in this series, I can nearly guarantee that you will have a successful college experience.

Just remember, your past does not define you. Open your mind up to the realm of possibility.

Gear up for an intense series in which I lay out everything I learned these past four years. Just know that much of what I share is “unconventional.” It’s not the “YOU MUST STUDY HARD” advice. You will be forced to reflect on who you are, what your mindset is, what your purpose is, and how you can turn any dream you have in college into a reality. This is what worked for me, and I’m confident it will work for you.