A season for thanks

THS grad reflects on faith, friction and family

An African Proverb tells us that it takes a village to raise a child. That it takes many people to provide a safe, healthy environment for children where they can develop and flourish. Where children can be mentored into fulfilling their DREAMS, their VISIONS, but most importantly, their PURPOSE.

FAITH

It takes a village…to help develop FAITH.

Hebrews 11 tells us that faith is the substance hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony. By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible. This is where we find the “Hall of Faith.” The biblical Mount Rushmore, where heroic individuals, through faith and sacrifice, accomplished God’s will for their life providing an example that we can follow.

If I wrote the Bible, my village of the greats that came before me would include: my dad, Manual Avila, Mr. Scaggs, Douglas DeGeer, Coach Schkade, Captain

Kountz, Mr. Dieterle, Coach Ruggles, Coach Carll, and Coach Denman, Jim Wood, and Marcos Curiel to name a few. All influential men who provided a safe, healthy environment and have mentored and encouraged me into fulfilling my purpose through dreams and visions.

By FAITH you get dropped off in Butte, Mont., at 18 years of life, knowing only the football coaching staff at Montana Tech. Only to be visited a few weeks later by Mr. and Mrs. Dieterle because they just so happened to be “passing through.” Taking their time to pick you up in front of Prospector Hall dormitory and take you to Metals Bar and Grille for a nice, warm meal.

Unfortunately, this is where they had to listen to me complain about the coaching staff but praise the university and state of Montana. More importantly, this is where I had to listen to the wisdom that was about to be instilled in me.

Mr. Dieterle had to explain to me that I am no longer playing for Denman, Ruggles, Carll and Snyder. I am in college; they don’t care the same way they did. I am here to perform and keep a scholarship, but most importantly, I am here to get an education. If I put in the time, work hard, keep good character, stay true to who I am, the rest will take care of itself. Have FAITH in the system and trust the process.

Mr. and Mrs. Dieterle encouraged me that entire night, letting me know that they believed in me and that they are always here for me.

FRICTION

It takes a village … to move past the point of friction.

The Marine Corps teaches its leaders to always insert themselves at the point of friction, whether you are about to raid a building, or are watching two young Marines about to fight.

When I look at my village, these leaders were always there, inserting themselves at the friction point. At one point in my high school season, everywhere I turned, Mr. Dieterle was there.

Football games, basketball games, even swim meets. Who goes to swim meets?

It was that junior year of high school where I hit a point of friction in my life and ended up seeing Mr. Dieterle probably more than he wanted to see me. But without a doubt, he was there providing a safe, healthy environment, mentoring me to fulfill my purpose through my dreams and visions, ensuring no one got in the way.

During a football game against Ridgecrest, he was on the sidelines encouraging me and mentoring me to get back on the field after I decided to call my own number instead of punting the ball. And if I didn’t get back on the field, there wasn’t much protection he would be able to provide that would keep Coach Denman and Ruggles from killing me on the sideline.

Every basketball game, I would look for him in the gym, and there Mr. and Mrs. Dieterle would be cheering on Tehachapi High School.

At one point, he was at every swim practice because of my lack of good behavior and ability to “play nice.” As a result of my poor behavior, Mr. Dieterle sacrificed his time to mentor and encourage me through this friction point.

His mentorship and encouragement did not stop in college and high school, because when I was on deployment this past winter, every time I hit a point of friction at work, whether it be flying back and forth over the Mediterranean Sea from Spain to Italy, when the Russians invaded Ukraine, or when my wife and I were experiencing friction because of the deployment, I would come back to my room and find a text from him on my phone asking, “how are you?” “where are you at?” “is North Carolina still home?” “how is Jordan, tell her hello for us and that we send our love.”

Every time, he somehow knew I was experiencing friction. Just that simple text encouraged me to get it together and get back on the field. He always put other’s needs in front of his own, and that is the heart of leadership that I learned from him and am always trying to emulate.

FAMILY

It takes a village … FALSE! It takes a FAMILY.

It takes a family to raise a child. And thank God that Mr. Dieterle adopted us, my family consisting of my dad, mom, and brother, into his family. Without Mr. and Mrs. Dieterle’s love, encouragement and selflessness, I would not be who I am or where I am without their actions.

Families are there for each other through everything, or at least they should be, and Mr. Dieterle was. Through every win to include that CIF championship, and through every loss to include what seemed like every college football game I ever played in; through every up and every down, he was there teaching me that FAITH will get us through whatever trial and tribulation, teaching me to insert myself at the point of FRICTION and help those around me get through the good times and hard times, and that FAMILY includes more than your dad, your mom, and your brother, and that we can all do a better job of extending our hand to those in need through selfless servanthood.

Travis Farewell is a 2011 graduate of Tehachapi High School. He is thankful every day for those that have impacted his life, recognizing that a vast majority of these individuals were Tehachapi Unified School District employees. Mr. Dieterle and Travis Farewell met in 2008. Every step of the way, Mr. Dieterle was encouraging, guiding and mentoring Travis through life.