I found my way into this work of mentorship and rites of passage largely as a result of my own experiences as a young person. I went through a number of my own struggles as a teenager throughout middle school and high school and found myself in increasing trouble and conflict both at home and in the classroom. When I was 16, my parents decided to send me to an all-boys boarding school across the country, which I was not happy about! Ultimately, it turned out to be a positive experience overall, although that defiant, rebellious part of myself was still very active. As I entered college, I began to go through a lot of internal changes, which illuminated the fact that beneath the defiance and rebellion was a lot of fear and uncertainty about myself, life, and the path ahead of me. The questions that arose during that time led me to seek out different spiritual teachings and paths, which connected me with mentors, uncles, aunties, and older brother figures who guided me at a time when I was confused, afraid, but eager to learn.

When I was 20, my friend brought me to my first sweat lodge. I remember arriving and feeling like I was in the presence of something sacred for the first time in my life. When the door to the lodge shut and everything went dark, I freaked out inside! All of the questions, concerns, fears of my life were right in front of me in that moment. It was the first time I could face myself in a real way. When I was 23, I went on my first hanbleceya vision quest. That rite of passage experience shifted the dial and opened me in a new way to life and the privilege of walking this earth. I used that newfound inspiration and committed to putting something out there in the world. Over the next few years, I worked different jobs to support myself as an artist, publishing poetry and music albums and gigging as a songwriter. I also became involved in a nature-based men’s organization called Men’s Leadership Alliance that facilitated men’s retreats and groups for men of all ages. It was through MLA that I got my first opportunity to volunteer at a rite of passage for teenage boys, which I continued for four summers.

In 2021, one of my mentors connected me with a family who wanted to put their son through a rite of passage program. All the experiences I had in my 20s and the mentorship I received from others prepared me for that opportunity to help someone else. In 2023, I decided to commit to this work full time, and my passion and vision for this work has grown as I witness its positive impacts. There is, there always has been, and there always will be a need for boys and all young people to be supported in the journey towards adolescence and young adulthood. I am humbled and grateful to be able to use some of my own experiences and learning to help guide this next generation of teenage boys towards lives of purpose, meaning, beauty, and connection.