My Story
Who is Graham Sands? The answer to that question can be seen through my life story where I will go over how I got to be who I am today.
Growing Up
I grew up in a western suburb of Chicago with two sisters and the greatest parents in the world. My mom was the outgoing extrovert of the family while my dad was a wise, technical introvert. Being the middle child, I managed to take a piece from both of them. I always found myself being the most extroverted in the room because I loved building connections, while also learning as many technical skills as I could.
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My hobbies included a lot of video games and sports, playing baseball and basketball for over 10+ years each while winning the Baseball State Championship in 2011 where we played on TV during the Little League World Series. During my childhood, I was passionate about video games and being with friends, but when it came to high school, the "young adult" stage was not as easy as I hoped it would be. Video games turned into homework and being with friends turned into job and college applications.
Years of Growth
I struggled a lot during high school to find a passion. Growing up playing video games and being around computers always seemed interesting to me, but I had no idea where to start. In my freshman year of high school, I took a chance and signed up for an Intro to Comp Sci class. This was definitely out of my comfort zone as I often took the easy route in life, just gliding by without putting in 100% effort... but this class changed all that. This class taught me about grit, working hard, and that it is OK to struggle. I fell in love with coding and problem solving, so this took me all the way to my freshman year of college where I began as a computer science major.
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However, I wanted to take a more business-oriented route, indulging in the crossroads of business and technology, and Management Information Systems was just that. I went from having no direction/passion, to finding a strong path while being able accepted into the #1 Public MIS Program in the nation. These years of growth will forever be cemented in my life as the beginning of my future.
Who I Am, Today!
Throughout my life, I met a lot of great people who have helped me become the man I am today. Between parents, coaches, teachers, mentors, and even strangers, I have so much to be thankful for. I am now a Management Information Systems major here at the University of Arizona and I have been involved in the Arizona Consulting Club as well as the Fraternity of Phi Gamma Delta. My childhood and young adult years of growth were filled with learning lessons that have put me on a solid path to success. I am also working for the university as an IT Web Analyst.
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Through my schooling, extracurriculars, and work, I have found my passion in technology consulting. I have built relevant skills in Microsoft Excel, Python, and SQL which will be very beneficial in my career. After college, my goal is to one day work for a consulting firm where I can use my personal and technical skills to be the best consultant possible.
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Thank you for listening to my story, you can find my professional portfolio on the following page as well as a way to contact me!