My identity since my earliest memories has always been first and foremost that of a member of a devout Roman Catholic family and parish. Community and family prayer in the Rosary, meal prayers, and the Holy Mass have formed and strengthened this identity.
I attended Catholic elementary school then public school, followed by three years of home schooling, and finally four years at my local public high school. I was constantly being immersed into the mysteries of the faith while being challenged to live out my Catholic identity in a public school environment. In all of this I was growing closer to God, although I was not able to see this growth as readily as I would have liked.

As I attended NDSU my freshman year of college, I was faced with new schedules, privileges, and responsibilities and these I faced with the help of my solid Catholic background. It was during the summer between my freshman and sophomore years that I was afforded the opportunity to chaperone at the Summer Youth Institute in Mandan, ND. It was during this week of interacting with younger fellow Catholics and the hours of adoration spent praying that I was made increasingly aware of a desire to attend the seminary and to be in an environment of similar minded brothers in Christ. So at the end of this Institute I contacted Fr. Richter, and now I am discerning my identity as a seminarian for the Bismarck Diocese.