User:RyanMWhitfield27/sandbox

Beginnings

Ryan M. Whitfield (Born March 23rd, 1994) in Peoria, Illinois. 25 years of life has taught Ryan the ups and downs of life and after losing his father unexpectedly, he grew up quickly. Hard work, honesty, and humbleness was instilled into Ryan since his very first breaths. Along with those attributes, Ryan is shy at first, but when out of his shell, a very fun and outgoing person.

Early Life and Education

Attending Olympia High School in Stanford, Illinois (Class of 2013); Ryan played baseball and basketball. Ryan grew up with a great passion for baseball; he played from the age of 3, until the age of 21; when a devastating injury, ended his baseball career. While the loss of his first love, baseball, hit hard; a previous love took its place, fishing. After his high school days, Ryan decided to attend classes at Illinois Central College. Ryan found that his career path often changed throughout his college days. Starting out focusing on physical therapy assisting, Ryan changed course to horticulture. After focusing on horticulture very shortly, Ryan was offered a job he could not refuse, thus him choosing a path towards a general associates degree. Spring 2020 is his final semester before he graduates.

Career

Working as a seasonal parks and recreation employee for the town of Normal for the last five years and pursuing a degree at Illinois Central College, Ryan's life changed in July of 2019. July 2019 brought forth a new job offer; a full-time position in the town of Normal Facilities Maintenance department. Ryan accepted this position with full benefits and generous pay and is on the path towards purchasing his first home.

Hobbies

Ryan enjoys baseball, basketball, fishing, and hiking in his spare time. Family and friends are also huge in Ryan's life. Ryan is a history buff and loves a good war movie.

Recreation and Leisure

Ryan decided to join the Introduction to Recreation course at Illinois Central College because of his previous experiences in the town of Normal Parks and Recreation department for the last five years. These experiences led Ryan to have an interest in obtaining more knowledge on the topic. Ryan hopes everyone has a very fun and successful semester!