Alexander Findura

Bio

My freshman year I attended Union Grove High school where we won our county Championships with an undefeated record. Our county got redistricted and I was zoned for Woodland High School where I finished playing my last three years of varsity football. I played defensive end and helped out on all special teams. During my high school career I focused on working hard in the gym to gain strength. Out on the practice field I focused on technique, speed, and agility. All of my training allowed me to bring confidence and intensity to games where I was able to get sacks for loss, tackles for loss, safeties and fumble recoveries, including recoveries to touchdowns.



During my senior year I attended many college combines and workout camps across the southeast. I was able to train with many great high school athletes and be coached by college coaches. Attending these camps enabled me to take away valuable positional skills and football knowledge.



I was being recruited to play college football and I chose to attend Georgia State University where I was granted the great opportunity to accept a full ride scholarship. Out on the field I was a huge impact player my freshman year. I was known for my speed and agility, along with my fast hands. On every snap I fired off the ball with quick speed, I was a nightmare for offensive tackles and quarterbacks.



During my first year at Georgia State I had a hard time focusing on academics. I had no idea what I wanted to do in life, so it was hard to pick a career to work towards. I tried different classes that aligned to different majors, but found they weren't a good fit for me. I struggled to retain the information in class, and therefor my grades suffered. The only true path I wanted in my mind was to enlist in the military, this is something I had wanted to do since I was a little boy. I did some soul searching at the end of my freshman year and started talking to military recruiters. I loved what the military had to offer, so once I realized I had an opportunity to enlist I took it.



I enlisted in the United States Marine Corps as Infantry in August 2012, the summer after my freshman year. I attended boot camp at Paris Island, South Carolina and was hand selected for a special duty station at 8th & I Marine Barracks Washington D.C. While I was there I went through a grueling seven months of training with a small specialized section called the Body Bearers. I had the honor to carry my brothers to their final resting place in our counties most hollowed grounds, Arlington National Cemetery.



What the military and my job in Marine Corps gave me was a sense of direction and guidance. They gave me the focus I needed to figure out what I wanted to do, and the drive and determination to work hard and get what I wanted. The core values that were drilled in me day one of boot camp, Honor, Courage, Commitment, will be forever instilled in me. Now I am ready to bring all that with me back to the classroom as well as out on the football field.