I was raised Catholic and attended Catholic grade school and mass with my family every Sunday. I then went to public high school and attended one year at Mizzou before entering Cardinal Glennon College as a sophomore in 2020. Through my whole life, I desired to be a scientist, but looking back I can see that the call to the priesthood was always in the background of my mind. Some major influences which led me to receive the call were playing the organ for my parish beginning in 6th grade, joining my local youth group and going on a mission trip each summer, and seriously diving into my faith and prayer life during my year at Mizzou. I had a transformative experience in adoration the summer after my senior year of high school which really opened me up to listen more closely to the Lord's voice. As I attended adoration and mass and went to confession more and more frequently, I began to hear the Lord's call to seminary much more clearly. Eventually, I set aside my reservations and trusted that the Lord would provide for me whatever came and so left Mizzou and my dreams of being a scientist to follow where the Lord was leading. These past 6 years in seminary have been the most blessed of my life!