Friday, July 12, 2024

A Gaucho Success Story

 


Many years ago I was a lost soul trying to find my way.  There were some personal trials weighing heavy on my heart.  I just didn't know if I could handle the pressure.  The only thing familiar to me upon high school graduation was the feeling I had four years earlier when it was time to say goodbye to my closest friends who were mostly sticking together on a road not meant for me.  I may as well been a gaucho living in the South American pampas.

It turns out my fours years at Sunnyslope high school were a turning point.  It was a time when I got battle tested.  Those years prepared me for a lifetime of personal growth.  

Upon high school graduation I opted to attend Glendale Community College.  Earning a spot on the tennis team meant I could get some fees waived.  Every penny mattered.  I was determined to further my education, the only investment in my future that could never be taken away.

Flash forward to an evening I will treasure all the days of my life.  I met a humble man last night who briefly attended the same community college about five years after me.  Last night I shook his hand.  He heard from one of his colleagues that a fellow gaucho wanted to say hello.  We shook hands at the end of our VIP party last night.  Ron Vachris, the new CEO, thanked me for being a part of the team.  No pictures were taken.  None were needed.  This special memory of two gauchos meeting while on a journey of discovery will stay with me and inspire me all the days of my life.  I'm grateful I chose the road less traveled.  Have a great day.

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