Hello

Chapter Affiliation/Region

Knights of the Bluegrass
Kentucky, USA

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Year Knighted

International Jedi Federation Knight (2020)

Re-Knighted (2024)

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Jedi Path

What first sparked your interest in the Jedi path?

Star Wars, without question. My dad tells me the first movie I ever went to see was Star Wars back in 1977. That means that at two years old, I apparently knew what a Jedi was, or at least I knew that lightsabers were cool and Darth Vader was a big, scary guy in black armor. The first one I actually remember seeing in the theater was The Empire Strikes Back, and we saw it six times. My dad would ask if I wanted to go see Star Wars, and I would ask if it was the one where Han Solo gets out of the carbonite, and he would say no, it’s the one where he gets in. I kept wondering when he was going to get out. That kind of experience stuck with me. I was raised more on Star Wars and Star Trek than anything else, and that shaped a lot of how I saw the world growing up.

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Philosophy & Journey

How did you come to the Jedi path, and when did it become more than an interest?

I didn’t even know there was a Jedi path at first. I had only heard about people who identified as Jedi in a religious sense, but I didn’t have any real understanding of what that meant or how it worked. That changed when I went to a mini-convention in New Albany, Indiana, where I met Jack Troutman. They were representing Kentucky Jedi, and I ended up talking with him. We formed a friendship, and that connection is what brought me into the path in a real way. From there, I began my apprentice journey, and over time, that grew into something much more serious and meaningful. That was the point where it stopped being an abstract idea and became something I was actively living and developing.

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How do you personally define the Force?

I consider myself more of a Jedi realist than a Jedi practitioner. To me, the Force is an umbrella term for what many people would call an all-powerful force, a deity, or God. In my case, the Force is my universal term for God. I am a practicing non-denominational Christian, and that informs how I understand it, but that does not take away from my respect for other people’s beliefs. I don’t expect everyone to define it the way I do. What matters to me is how those beliefs translate into action. I look at the idea of “What would a Jedi do?” and apply that to my daily life. That means thinking about how I interact with people, how I show empathy, how I treat others, and how I stand up for them when needed. The Force, for me, is something that is lived through behavior, not just defined in theory.

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What has been the most meaningful or challenging lesson the Force has taught you?

The idea of “Duty to All” has been the most challenging lesson for me. It is very easy to agree with it in principle and recognize it as something noble, but it is much harder to consistently live it out. Human bias gets in the way. Whether we realize it or not, we all carry unconscious bias, and that affects how we treat people. I try to recognize that within myself and actively work past it so I can treat people on the same level as me. I make an effort to understand where someone is on their path, whether they follow the Jedi path or not. The challenge is not just doing that once, but doing it consistently and honestly questioning myself along the way. There is always that question in the back of my mind asking if I am doing it right. It is not a struggle that stops me, but it is something I continue to evaluate and refine.

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What continues to motivate you to walk this path?

I enjoy being around like-minded individuals, but more than that, I value the opportunity to help people expand how they see things. A lot of people come into this path with very fixed ideas about what the Force is or what a Jedi should be, and they can be resistant to anything outside of that. I tend to step into the role of someone who challenges that perspective. Sometimes that means playing devil’s advocate, and sometimes it just means offering a different way of looking at something. I try to guide people toward understanding that there is more than one way to interpret the path. It is not always successful, because people tend to stay within what is familiar to them, but the attempt itself is meaningful to me.

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Mentorship & Leadership

What responsibility do you believe comes with holding the title of Knight?

The responsibility of a Knight is constant representation. Everything you say and do reflects on that title. You should not act in a way that makes people question whether you are actually a Knight. There should be a clear difference in how you carry yourself. You are not meant to act like a mercenary or someone just going through the motions. People should be able to recognize, through your behavior and how you treat others, that you hold yourself to a higher standard. That standard applies not only to yourself, but also to the people you are responsible for guiding. A Knight is expected to lead, not simply follow or blend in.

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What does being a mentor mean to you personally?

Being a mentor means helping someone learn how to think for themselves. I want the people I mentor to develop critical thinking skills so they are not dependent on rules alone. Rules have their place, but not every situation fits neatly into them. A person needs to be able to take in all the information available to them, apply their sense of honor and integrity, and make a decision based on that. I do not want someone to act a certain way just to avoid consequences or because they were told to. Integrity is doing the right thing when no one is watching, and that is what I want to instill in the people I mentor.

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How would you describe your mentoring style?

My mentoring style is direct, practical, and focused on growth. I encourage people to think independently and to take ownership of their decisions. I also balance that with encouragement, especially in training environments. In lightsaber practice, for example, we focus heavily on sportsmanship and personal progress. I do not expect perfection from people, and I do not come down on them for struggling. Everyone starts somewhere, and I make sure they understand that. At the same time, I do not tolerate poor behavior like bad sportsmanship. That is something I address immediately, because how you conduct yourself matters just as much as your skill.

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What kind of mentee do you feel naturally compatible with?

The kind of mentee I feel naturally compatible with is someone who has direction. They do not have to have everything together. They do not have to have their life perfectly sorted out. They do not have to know every step. But they do need to know where they want to go, or at least have a vision of the kind of person they are trying to become. If somebody has that, I can work with them. I can help them navigate. I can help them think. I can help them course-correct. But I cannot do the walking for them. The way I put it is, I can be a GPS for them, but I cannot drive. That is probably the clearest way to explain it. I work best with people who are willing to move, willing to grow, and willing to own their path.

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What area do you specialize in as a Jedi and mentor?

One of the areas I naturally lean into is lightsaber training and the culture that comes with that. Zach and I are both very into the lightsaber side of things. If you start talking about hitting people with glow sticks, both of us are going to perk up immediately. But it is not just about the fun of the activity. We use that space to reinforce discipline, sportsmanship, and steady development. We encourage people to train, to improve, and to do so without tearing themselves apart for not progressing fast enough. If people are frustrated, we remind them that everyone starts somewhere and that growth takes time. At the same time, we are very serious about sportsmanship. We really cannot stand poor sportsmanship, and we try to nip that in the bud as soon as possible. So my specialization is not only the technical side of lightsaber culture, but the character-building side of it too. More broadly, I also tend to serve as someone who challenges assumptions and helps people broaden their perspective when they are too locked into one narrow understanding of the path.

 

Is there a mentor or a few people in the Jedi Community that helped you grow as a Jedi?

Jack Troutman was my master, and he had a major impact on my development. He was a good friend, and as far as I know, still is a good friend. He was a key person in getting me started on this path at all. Master Ross was another important influence. He was somebody I could talk to about things I was not quite sure about, and that kind of guidance matters when you are trying to sort out what you believe and how you want to move. I also want to give credit to the current leadership in IJF. When I left IJF, I was very down on the Jedi path as a whole because what I saw was stagnation. Coming back and seeing the difference now has meant a lot. I am genuinely glad I came back. So I would absolutely give a shoutout to Karina, Sarah, and Sophia for what they have done with IJF. I also want to acknowledge my former Padawan, now Knight, Archer Gintoo Zach. He has well exceeded my expectations, and it has been good to see what he has grown into.

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Character & Growth

What do you believe are some of your core personality traits?

I have a very dry sense of humor. That is probably one of the first things people notice once they spend enough time around me, and unfortunately it can leave some people walking away from a conversation wondering whether I was serious or not. Usually, once people get to know me, they start to pick up on my verbal and social cues and can tell when I am joking and when I am not. I also do not tolerate excuses very well. If I know somebody can do a thing, and they have been avoiding it for a long time without a good reason, that tends to aggravate me. Another big thing for me is that I do not like closed-mindedness. I do not need people to agree with me, and I do not need people to adopt my standards or morals. But I do want people to at least understand where I am coming from, because that is what I strive to do for them. Even if I disagree with someone, I try to understand why they believe what they believe. I can agree to disagree and still get along with people. If that cannot happen, it is not going to be because I did not try.

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What strengths help you serve your community well?

One of my strengths is that I am willing to challenge rigid thinking without automatically dismissing people. I can take a different position, ask hard questions, and help broaden someone’s perspective while still respecting them as a person. I think that matters in community life, because people do not always need someone to agree with them. Sometimes they need someone who can help them think more clearly. I also bring high standards into the spaces I am part of. I care about accountability, I care about conduct, and I care about people representing themselves well. Whether that is in mentorship, community interaction, or training spaces, I think I serve best by combining perspective, directness, and a steady expectation that we should be trying to do better.

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What areas are you actively working on within yourself?

I am actively working on my physical health and my spiritual rhythm. On the physical side, I need to lose some weight and get more disciplined about my regimen. I want to build consistency there. On the spiritual side, I am looking forward to getting back into my spiritual practice more intentionally. I have been on a weekends-only work schedule for almost two years, and that has made certain routines harder to maintain. As I move out of that, I want to get back to church, go hiking, get out into the woods more, and incorporate walking meditations and other forms of moving meditation into my life. I am also interested in exploring swordsmanship as a deeper meditative practice. Zach has described losing himself in the practice of swordsmanship and treating that as meditation, and I find that compelling. I want to try that, not only because I need centering, but because it is also a very real physical workout. So I am working on discipline, spiritual consistency, and finding better ways to connect body and mind.

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What does integrity mean to you in daily life?

Integrity means doing the right thing even when no one is watching. It is not just about following the rules. It is not about doing the bare minimum so you do not get in trouble. It is about acting from an internal sense of honor and making the right choice because that is who you are trying to be. For me, integrity has to be something deeper than appearances. It has to remain true even when there is no audience.

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What do people often misunderstand about you?

People often misunderstand my humor and my facial expression. My dry humor can make people unsure whether I am joking, and I know that can throw people off at first. On top of that, I have what people like to call resting face. If I am not smiling, people sometimes think something is wrong or ask if I am okay. But the reality is, I cannot smile on demand. Either it is organic or it is not happening. If I try to force a smile, it comes off looking unsettling, and we do not need that. So I think sometimes people read more intensity or seriousness into me than is actually there, especially before they know me well enough to read my tone.

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Life Beyond the Temple

What brings you joy outside of Jedi practice?

Family time brings me a lot of joy. My wife and I meet with her aunt and uncle on Mondays and Fridays, and we have family dinners and game nights. That is a meaningful rhythm for me. I enjoy that kind of connection and shared time. I am also trying to get my whole family into Dungeons and Dragons, which has proven to be a bit difficult, but I enjoy the effort and the idea of bringing people together through something imaginative and interactive like that. So outside of Jedi practice, a lot of what brings me joy is rooted in family, play, shared meals, and spending intentional time with the people I care about.

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Favorite Movie/Show:

I’ve always been a Star Wars fan, that’s kind of a given for me, but outside of that, right now I really enjoy watching the Critical Role animated series. Those have been some of my favorite things to keep up with. I also enjoy stand-up comedy quite a bit, that’s something I go back to regularly. The last movie I saw in theaters was Dracula: A Love Story, and I thought it was a very good movie. It had a strong aesthetic that reminded me a lot of the older Dracula films, especially that 90s style, and while it had horror elements, it wasn’t overly focused on being scary. It balanced things out with some comedic moments, and for me, it hit the right beats. I know critics didn’t necessarily agree, but I don’t really base my opinions on that. If I enjoy something, that’s enough for me.

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Favorite Singer/Band:

I tend to listen to a lot of rock music, especially through Decibel on Pandora. That’s usually what I have playing when I’m on my own. My taste goes back to more classic rock and metal influences. Motley Crue was actually my first concert, so that one always stands out for me. I also enjoy bands like Metallica and Iron Maiden, which really shaped a lot of my musical preferences. These days, I don’t always get to listen to my own music as much as I’d like, especially during family time, since everyone else leans more toward country music. So a lot of my rock listening happens on my own time, especially when I’m driving.

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Heroes and Inspirations:

In real life, my father is one of my biggest inspirations. He was the one who introduced me to Star Wars from the very beginning, taking me to see it as a child and shaping a lot of what I grew up with. He raised me more on Star Wars and Star Trek than on more traditional things like sports, and that had a lasting impact on how I see the world and what I value. In fiction, I’ve always connected with the hero’s journey, especially Luke Skywalker from the original trilogy. That story of growth, struggle, and learning what it means to take responsibility resonates with me in a very real way. It’s not just about being powerful, it’s about becoming someone who can carry that responsibility and make the right choices. Right now, I’m also reading the first book in The Witcher series, and I find that character interesting as well. There’s something there that I appreciate, even if I don’t feel like I could fully relate to or embody that kind of character. From a religious standpoint, as a practicing Christian, Christ is always going to be one of my central inspirations. That influence carries into how I understand the Force and how I try to live out my values on a daily basis, especially in how I treat others and how I approach responsibility and integrity.

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What do you do outside of IJF?

In real life, I am a nurse practitioner in cardiology. That is my profession outside of IJF. I am also a grandfather of six little grandbabies, which is its own whole role and source of meaning in my life. Between my work, my family, and the rest of my responsibilities, that makes up a large part of who I am outside of the Order.

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​Community & Vision

How would you describe being part of the IJF community?

It has been refreshing. There is a big difference between when I left and what I came back to. The community now is active, and it has much better standards. People tend to police things a little better in terms of not stepping on each other’s toes. For the most part, people support one another, and when they do not, it is handled instead of being allowed to spiral into infighting, backbiting, or just a general continuation of bad behavior. That matters a lot to me, because one of the reasons I had become discouraged in the past was stagnation. Coming back and seeing something healthier, more active, and more accountable has made being part of IJF feel genuinely worthwhile and encouraging.

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What values are most important for IJF to protect over time?

Once there is a strong sense of identity, that is something worth protecting. The strongest identity I have seen cultivated in IJF, and the one that seems to matter most, is community and community participation. I think IJF should stay true to that and keep enhancing that particular niche, because that is going to be a major draw for people. At the same time, I do not think that should come at the expense of everything else. The community should not try to become the megachurch of the Jedi world and dilute the message just for popularity. Growth is fine, participation is important, and community matters deeply, but not if the price is losing the integrity of what you are trying to build in the first place.

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Final Reflection

When someone reads your bio, what do you hope they understand about your heart?

I hope they understand that I want to do everything in my power to help people become the best version of themselves that they can be. Part of that means being able to face hard truths and criticisms. It also means being able to accept those things with grace and extend that grace to others as well. I do not think growth happens by pretending everything is easy or by avoiding what is difficult. I think people need honesty, but they also need grace. So if someone reads my bio, I hope they come away understanding that my heart is to help people grow, to help them become stronger and better, and to do that in a way that still leaves room for dignity, humility, and compassion.​​​​