I didn't have a lot of direction after high school, and I began working in masonry when I was 18, first as a laborer, then as an apprentice, moving up the ranks to mason. My career in masonry spanned the next 20 years, and I became proficient in all forms of masonry. In 2013, my wife, Alisa, and I moved to Texas to start a new adventure. One afternoon as I walking across the campus of McClennan Community College (MCC), I saw fire bricks scattered outside of one of the campus buildings. Curious, I went inside to ask what they were going to be used for. After talking with one of the instructors, I learned that they were going to be used to build a gas kiln-- and they needed an experienced mason to build it. It was one of those moments when you know that your are the right guy in the right place at the right time. I built the kiln and fell in love with ceramics at the same time. For the next two years, I took every course I could take and graduated with an Associate of Arts, Concentration in Ceramics in 2017. Shortly after graduating, I was fortunate to land a position at Black Oak Art in Waco, TX (picture left) where I spent the next year learning the ins and outs of handmade production pottery. In the summer of 2018, my wife accepted a new job and we moved to Gainesville, FL, with our 4-year old daughter. Here, I am inspired to continue to learn and grow, as a potter, husband, and father.