My First Blog Post

    Hello, my name is Aaron and I'd like to say welcome and thank you for checking out my blog! I am currently taking a marketing class at Linn Benton Community College as part of a transfer degree program in which I will be pursuing a bachelors degree in Business Administration. My significant other had taken this course last spring, with the same instructor. As I needed to take this course as one of the required courses to attain the degree I'm looking to obtain, she had recommended that I take the course with the same instructor as her. Regarding what I hope to learn from this course, I look forward to fleshing out my knowledge in an area that is as significant as marketing is in the business world. I also hope to become more acquainted with marketing myself as an individual or prospective employee for future employment options. To understand where I'm at in life now, it would take going back a few years first...

A photo of the accident I was involved in

    Early on the morning of March 2nd, 2016 I was involved in a serious car accident, in which the three other passengers and I were taken to the hospital. We were honestly lucky to survive, due to the injuries we sustained we were held at the hospital for several days. After being discharged from the hospital to recover at home, with a prescription of pain killers, I became dependent on them. I continued taking them over the next two years, and at times that I didn't have them or take them, I would go through withdrawal. This led me to reaching a point of vulnerability or weakness at a time when I was unable to source any more. I then tried heroin. I quickly became addicted to heroin and stopped taking pain killers altogether. After a year and a half of crippling addiction, multiple arrests, warrants being issued for missed court dates, and spending close to a month in jail, I was given the opportunity to enroll in drug treatment court. I had spent the past 15 months in this program, having just graduated on September 23rd, 2020. I've been clean and sober for over a year now, and am grateful I've given myself the opportunity to return to school and continue rebuilding my life. The area outside of my education and recovery that I am most passionate about would be cars! 

My current vehicle, a stage two 2010 Audi S4

    I attended my first street races when I was 17, out in Salem, OR. We would meet on the weekends, Friday and Saturday nights at midnight, parking our vehicles at the Firestone on Commercial Street. Some of the busier nights, such as during the summer, easily had 100 vehicle turn outs, if not more. For an underground, unofficial car meet it was a pretty incredible sight, serving as my introduction into car culture. From the meeting point, a few people would discuss which spot we were all to drive to from there, for setting up and participating in the impromptu drag races. Once decided, there would be one to two people to spread the word to everyone that was interested in viewing or participating in the races. All that was said regarding where would be going was limited to a nickname or a general area. People were expected to be familiar with the areas, or be with someone who knows what location each name referred to. Potential observers would only hear the word "Psychos" or "Ankeny", the former referring to a remote two lane asphalt road west of Salem, and the latter referring to a similar road in the Ankeny Hill area, south of Salem. From there, we would jump in our cars and drive out to the location. Upon arrival, we would start setting up for tge races that people had already decided on participating in, as well as any on the spot challenges, occasionally involving people placing bets on who would win. More often than not, those of us racing were just doing it for our own enjoyment or testing out different modifications or upgrades made to our vehicles. I continued to attend those meetings for a few years, eventually transitioning to the occasional car meet, such as cars and coffee. I do have future plans to get back into that more competitive atmosphere by participating in autocross or track days such as those held at Portland International Raceway. For now though, I have the next few months of classes to focus on, including this marketing class!

-Aaron