What experience had the most profound impact on the adult you’ve become?
There are few experiences that shaped the man I have become more than my high school years. I was a boarder at a school with a tradition steeped in football and farming. At 12 years of age, with a love for music and performing, I was an easy target for the mockery of my peers and older students. The first few years there were particularly difficult, not only dealing with limited time with my parents and family but also keeping my head held high day to day.
The flip side of my experience didn’t become apparent until I had left school and gone out into the world to fend for myself. All the things I was forced to do during high school—like my own washing, managing my nonschool hours and taking responsibility for a younger group of students as a dormitory monitor—combined to fill me with independence and confidence to look after myself that I may not have had otherwise.
As for the bullying, which continues to be a major problem in a lot of schools, it ultimately shaped me into a man that has been able to trust in the things I love doing and appreciate the support and love of those who have been there for me in the toughest times.
Human Nature performs at The Venetian. Shows are 7 p.m. Tues.-Sat. Call 702.414.9000 for tickets.
