Forged in Fire

Of all paths made available to me throughout my (rather) young life, I find myself currently in a better spot than I, along with many close to me, could have likely ever imagined. Growing up in a small working-class community in southeast Iowa, opportunities were fickle, yet available to those willing to take a leap of faith. Choosing to take such a leap amongst many who chose the latter is often daunting at the very least, due to various reasons that I will elaborate on at another time. Nevertheless, the aforementioned leap of faith is the path that I chose for myself at 18 years old.

Moving on from my hometown, I attended Iowa State University from 2017-2021, surfing through a myriad of career choices – beginning with Graphic Design, moving into Business Marketing, before finally falling on what I believed to be my “calling” if you will, Education. Amidst all of this chaos, I spent my first (roughly) year and a half on the Iowa State wrestling team, learning some brutal lessons on the true magnitude of collegiate wrestling – all of which assisted me in my eventual decision to pursue a career in education and coaching the sport of wrestling. 

My remaining years in college led me down many roads, introduced me to many people, and taught me more than I could ever fathom. To put myself through school, I found myself working jobs of all kinds, such as loading trucks, washing hog confinements, cold-calling for donations to the university in which I was attending, maintaining the grounds of a golf course, and working on a grading crew for one of the largest residential builders in the Des Moines metro. All over the place, I know. Through these jobs, and the other small ones in between, I met some fascinating individuals, from all walks of life and from all over the world. From some of the most unassuming places and situations, I learned things from people who weren’t attempting to teach me a thing, only living their lives, the only way they knew how.

Graduating in the spring of 2021 with a Bachelor’s of Science, I became the first member of my immediate family to do so. The next piece of my journey led me to where I am now, in my first and only job as an educator and a coach in the Des Moines metro. My wife and I married in the Spring of 2022, and just recently welcomed our first born daughter into the world. 

In addition to my roles as a husband, father, educator and coach, I spend any free time I can muster by running and biking countless miles – reading, listening and searching for any methods by which to increase my physical and mental fitness as I age.

Through this blog, I aim to share my thoughts and experiences afforded to me through many different outlets over my lifetime, while continuing to grow my wealth of knowledge and ability to put such knowledge into words for others to read. In this current moment, I feel relatively unsure of where this may lead, but eager to take the leap of faith, just as I did some years ago that eventually shaped me into who I am and led me to where I find myself today.

Here’s to something new,

Tuck