Coming back to SC after 2016 Christmas break, one of the greatest things I’ve done for myself is to get back on the ice, playing in a men’s ice hockey league once a week on Thursday nights.
Getting out on the ice and lacing ‘em up with the boys has brought back many memories given that I played ice hockey for 17 years as a kid growing up in Montreal, Quebec.
Back in High-School, when I already knew that I wanted to attend USC, but before my application was officially submitted, I was offered an incredible opportunity. I was invited by a dear family friend and mentor, Lisa Hepner, to travel west from Montreal to LA in order to shoot a scene for her ongoing documentary, The Human Trial.
The project is designed and dedicated to raising awareness and money to find a cure for diabetes. As a person living with type 1 diabetes, this is a cause close to my heart.
Back when I was a rising high-school senior (summer of 2014) I attended the “Leadership in the Business World” program in San Francisco run by the Wharton School of Business. The program included guest speakers who were inspiring leaders from companies across various industries, including technology, finance, e-commerce, and entertainment.
And while we heard from successful leaders at companies like Google, eBay, and Ampush Media, the speaker who blew me away was Troy Carter, the renowned music manager and venture capitalist. I was awestruck as Troy shared his experience of combining his passion for music and love of business.
At the time, I had been DJing in Montreal for almost three years while also working to help develop and promote other young DJs. It was clear that I had an affinity for the music biz, but up until that point, I’d never really considered it as a possible career path – music was always just a hobby. However, after hearing Troy’s story about promoting Jay-Z’s first-ever rap show in Philadelphia, I returned to Montreal at the end of the program with inspiration and direction, which couldn’t have been more timely with college applications on the horizon.
