Having gone to St. Raphael’s Catholic School since Pre-K, I always knew I’d attend Cathedral as a high school student given my parents’ focus on academics and devotion to the Catholic faith.

I absolutely loved my high school experience at Cathedral. At Cathedral, I immersed myself in both academics, where I graduated in the top 5% of my class, and the myriad of extra-curricular activities, such as Speech and Debate, where I was a national and state qualifier nearly every year in both cross-examination debate and extemporaneous speaking. I credit both the teachers and students of Cathedral for a healthy sense of support and competition to make myself into a better student and man.

After Cathedral, thanks in large part to the support of teaching faculty, most notably, Brother Nick, and my parents, I attended Yale University (JE ’07) where I received a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy. After graduation, I moved to California to attend Stanford Law School, focusing on business and corporate law.

Feeling homesick for the Lone Star State, I moved to Dallas in 2010 and worked for nearly 5 years at Vinson & Elkins, L.L.P. as a Finance Associate focusing on energy and acquisition finance. After meeting my wife Bethany in 2012 and getting married in 2014, I decided to take my practice back home to El Paso. I am currently a Senior Associate concentrating in Real Estate and Finance at ScottHulse PC.

“What are you proudest of?”
I think I am most proud of being taught (and remembered) by Mrs. Ulrickson. I felt privileged to be a student of some of who I consider to be the “classic” Cathedral teaching faculty such as Brother Mel, Brother Al and Mrs. Ulrickson.

“What lessons from Cathedral do you carry with you?”
I learned early on from my time at Cathedral that, irrespective of your background in or passion for a particular field or concentration, the people are probably the most important consideration of any career or educational decision. I was molded into the motivated and intellectually curious individual I am today because of the healthy sense of support and competition that my fellow classmates and I fostered. That principle, that people are what matters, has always informed my decision making.

“Do you have a message (lesson/observation) for a current Cathedral student?”
Make connections early on. Be community-minded and civically-oriented and remember that it takes a village! You never know where your life will lead you, so make sure to concern yourself with the people around you and communities in which you live. Being a thoughtful individual that focuses on the sustainability and social good of your decisions will never lead you astray.