I didn’t skip college out of rebellion. I just found a faster route to the same finish line.

The plan was college. I took a detour and never looked back.

I was supposed to.
The tuition was paid.
The travel was planned.
The future was “secured.”

I was set to attend the dream school for anyone who wanted to go play with race cars. They promised connections to teams, opportunities to go pro. It felt like the right move.

Then something happened.

One day, while working as a tech — already pulling a shockingly large paycheck as a teenager — I got asked to run parts to a race shop during some downtime. No big deal. I loved getting to see interesting cars.

Except this wasn’t just any shop — it was home to an IHRA Pro Mod team.

So I asked for a job.

They said yes.

And just like that, the entire college plan unraveled. I found myself clawing back deposits, canceling travel, and trying to explain to my parents why I wasn’t getting on that plane. Because the thing I thought college would get me? I just got it by showing up, asking, and being ready.

I didn’t go to college. I went racing.

And that decision — crazy as it might’ve seemed at the time — shaped everything that came next.

Motorsports. Logistics. Ops consulting. Nonprofit leadership. Systems work. Crisis management.

I didn’t follow the traditional route. I just got to the destination by a different road.

I’ve never regretted it.

Because in the end, I wasn’t chasing a degree.

I was chasing traction.

#NontraditionalPath #VocationalEducation #BuiltNotBought #CareerTrajectory #OperationsLeadership #AlwaysSayYesToAdventure #HandsOnLearning #ProblemSolver