I initially struggled trying to find what I wanted to put on this page, but I thought it would be best if I had a space that was not professional and let me express the things I liked outside work. So here is a quick glimpse into my interests and life outside of the professional world.

Modeling

While my portfolio has significantly decreased since the Covid-19 pandemic started, I was selected as a model a couple time for my schools fashion organization MODA. I was selected for as a model for the blog, magazine, and the runway show. I loved working with the photographers and it was a fun experience, some of my favorite photos are from those shoots and while I think my time as a model is most likely done, I do appreciate the opportunity and experience. Here are some of my favorites from the various shoots I did.

Blog Photo Credits: Andrew Chang [@andrewgawschang]

Magazine Photo Credits: Elliot Duprey [@elliotduprey]

Wrestling

I’ve been wrestling since sophomore year in high-school, and have loved the sport ever since. Wrestling has allowed me to meet some of the coolest people, and created some of the closest friendships I have. Not to mention it helped me grow physically and finally escape the forever lanky lifestyle I had throughout my childhood. I currently wrestle for the University of Chicago, however I have taken a step back due to time constraints with school and being unable to put my 100% into the sport at the same time. I do hope once school is done to get back into the sport in some way, I have experience being an assistant coach for various youth organizations so I may look into being a coach in some form. I also have tried other grappling sports and may transition to something less harsh on the body like BJJ which would let me to continue competing after college.

Hobbies

I am one of those people who likes to try as many hobbies as I can at least once, this does mean that naming specific hobbies of mine is hard, but here are a few that have been taking up a lot of my time/ I want to get back into:

Valorant:

This is hard to come to terms with, but after 500ish hours I do have to say this is my main hobby at the moment. I love the competitive aspect and the cooperative experience when I play with friends, and enjoy the ability win together as a team. I also have been using as a way to teach myself how to handle pressure. I am notoriously bad in the clutch, but after so many situations where I’ve been put into it, I do feel myself starting to not get as anxious when put into high pressure situations, even outside of the server. For those who do care I recently hit Diamond, and am trying to work my way to Immortal so me and my friends can start playing within tournaments.

Music:

I grew up listening to music and have always loved the artform. I played guitar for 8 years on and off as a kid, and picked up deejaying when I came to college, I do want to get back into preforming at parties and other events, but with the pandemic ongoing It is hard for me to find motivation to practice. Hopefully with graduation I can also pick it up again. Until then though I will continue to rack up the hours on Spotify and continue to have debates with friends about music.

D&D:

D&D is the one hobby that I think will stick with me far into my life. I have been playing ever since junior year of high-school, and once I made it to college I started to DM for various groups. I love the ability to create stories and to see worlds evolve. I always wanted to write a book, but until I can do that D&D will be the replacement. I don’t currently have a group due to time constraints, but I still world build and create settings for when I do find a group that I can play with. I also love listening to podcast such as Critical Role where I can see other masterclass story tellers show their skills.

Top 3s

I always think that the best way to learn about someone is to know their favorite things, so here is just a few of mine.

Books:

1. One Piece: I recommend everyone read Eiichirō Oda’s masterpiece at some point in their life. It’s a wonderful example of living worlds, and allows readers to still follow the journey as its still ongoing.
2. Lord of the Rings Trilogy: This doesn’t require a ton of explanation, but these books were my love for fantasy really was solidified.
3. Eragon (The Inheritance cycle): This is here more for nostalgia, They were my first fantasy books, and I will never forget my excitement as a kid for when Inheritance first came out.

Movies/TV:

1. Kung-Fu Hustle: No comment here, if you haven’t seen it just go watch it ASAP
2. Hunter x Hunter: This is the show I show all of my friends at least once, and every time I get just as hype.
3. Star Wars Episode V: Once again no comment needed, I still remember seeing it for the first time.

Music:

1. When it’s all said and Done… Take time (Giveon): The only album I can say with confidence has ZERO skips, and Giveon really shows why he should be leader of the new age of R&B.
2. Get Rich or Die Tryin’ (50 Cent): I know I am too young to understand how big 50 Cent was in his prime, but I do know that this has been in my top 10 all through my life.
3. Painted (Lucky Daye): Another R&B album that deserves more credit. I would argue its the best album to come out of 2019 and will always be in my rotation.