Auto Biography and Timeline My family is of Irish descent. My great grandfather initially came to the United States during the potato famine that devastated so many Irish people during the middle of the 19th century. He was fortunate to escape in time before he was financially ruined, and was able to meet my great grandmother in New York where he attained a position in the financial industry. My family has largely remained in the U.S. ever since then.

As the oldest child in my family, I have been saddled with responsibility ever since I can remember. My parents had my sister a mere three years after they had me, and my little brother was born approximately two years later. My childhood was eventful to say the least. I have fond memories of playing with my siblings. However, whenever we got into mischief (which was inevitable for three children, especially during the stage in which we were able to stay home without my parents) I inevitably received the majority of the blame. That would change some whenever my cousins would come over -- David and Jessica were closer to my age than my own siblings. I would still get in trouble with them as well, although the blame was more equally spread throughout us "bigger cousins," as we were known then.

My friends have had a profound influence on my life. They have helped me to develop confidence and to define myself as an individual (within group contexts and in general). I grew up playing a tremendous amount of baseball. I eventually started as the second baseman for three years on my high school team. I played a little bit as an undergraduate in college, but eventually abandoned it to get a job. However, the camaraderie I shared on my Little League teams and high school teams is with me still. I still regularly correspond with my former teammates -- we attend one another's...

Standing with these various groups of guys during adversity on the field helped me to do so in life -- on my own.
As is the case with most people, my life and personality was also shaped by my academic career. My relationship with formal education has always been tenuous. I stopped liking school in the second grade when I moved to a new school; as I recall, that was right around the time teachers began assigning homework. Although I have a natural appetite for learning through observation and participation, classroom learning traditionally bored me. I had some really difficult times attempting to pass math classes, especially when I got to college and had to fulfill my general education requirements. However, those experiences have not jaded me so much that I would neglect the entire institution of formal learning.

My life has also been significantly shaped by my travels. In addition to spending a good amount of time in New York, I have also traveled extensively on the West Coast and will always enjoy any time I spend in San Diego. I also was able to travel through various parts of China and to India with my family. Traveling not only intrinsically brought us together as we were able to share new foods, sights and experiences with one another, but also provided an opportunity for me to experience other cultures and traditions. I think my travels have enabled me to broaden my horizons, literally.

The course of my life has also greatly shaped my moods. In general I am somewhat reserved and laid-back -- most people would perceive me as easy going. However, I also have moods in which I perceive a degree of intensity and carry that about with me. This is due in some part to my religious conviction. I am Irish Catholic, and feel a certain…