Monday, September 22, 2025
List the people who have had the most significant impact on your life (family members, coaches, mentors, leaders, friends, etc.) Why?
How am I supposed to answer this question? It would take a book. I know I will miss a lot of people, but I’ll give it a shot.
Grandpa Leavitt – He was the perfect example of a man who worked hard but loved his family. He had the perfect balance between work and family.
My Dad – My Dad said few words, but he had a way of making those words count. I can only remember a handful of times when we sat down and talked, but I worked with him so often, that we had hours of what felt like very casual conversation, but in reality it shaped my entire life. We talked about morality, doctrine, goals and life. My only regret is that I didn’t ask him for details of his early life and his mission to New Zealand.
My Mom – Mom and I didn’t really talk much. I wish we had, but unlike dad, we spent little time together. My strongest memories of my mom are us just cuddling together. As I got older we didn’t cuddle so much, but I always felt loved and safe when she was around.
Blaine Leavitt – There were actually several school teachers who taught me critical thinking. Some of them are Alma Sommerfeldt (math teacher) and Keith Shaw (biology teacher) but the Blaine Leavitt stands out. He was my automechanic teacher. He is the one who made me think through a problem and figure out for myself what the problem was or how something worked.
Norbert Elsner – Norb was the owner of Hi-Z and the man who hired me. He was my mentor and taught me much of what I know in thermoelectrics. He gave me the opportunity to manage dozens of projects for many government agencies and major companies.
Lisa Shaw – If we are talking about people who had a significant impact on my life, how could I not mention Lisa. She is my life. No one has had a greater impact on my life than her. She is the mother of my children and my eternal companion.
What advice would you give to those who have made bad decisions in their lives?
My advice would be to “move on”. If there is something you can do to make things better, then do that, but otherwise there is only heart ache and sadness in dwelling on past mistakes. What is done is done and it is time learn from your mistakes so you don’t repeat them and then start your new life.
Share one challenging problem you have faced and how you overcame it.
While I loved working at Hi-Z, I underestimated the cost of the living in San Diego. We realized early on that I was not making nearly enough money to live here, but we got along for several years. As the kids got older and our expenses grew, I knew that something had to change.
In the short term I took a night job throwing newspapers to help cover some costs (like Bens braces) and at the same time I sat down with Norb and explained my problem. In his mind I was making an income that was in line with my education and experience and he didn’t feel that a raise was in order.
The stress of being underwater like that was overhwhelming and affecting every part of my life. I prayed like I had never prayed before and started looking around for other work. The Lord isn’t always quick answering prayers, and I remained in this difficult situation for more than a year but He does ease our burdens. I remember one night when I was throwing papers, I was in a neighborhood with a lot of town houses so it was just easier to load up a bag with papers and walk the neighborhood.
It was a beautiful night and the night birds were singing and the weather was warm and the air was peaceful and full of the smell of flowers and I decided to pray. Instantly an overwhelming peace came over me and Heavenly Father told me to stop worrying because he was watching over me. I knew that everything would be alright. I needed to keep working and job hunting but everything would be ok. I never worried again.
I only threw papers for a year to cover Bens teeth but shortly after that I started graduate school. While I was in graduate school met a girl who worked at Qualcomm. I asked her if there were any openings there and she put me in touch with the right people. Within a couple of months my income increased 50%. That is a rather major change in ones lifestyle.
Norb was of course very distraught and offered to match my wage but I’ve learned that after making a decision like that it is hard to go back. I would resent him for forcing me to leave and he would resent me for forcing his hand. I was smart enough not to burn any bridges and I continued to support them in any way I could. I helped write proposals and acted as an advisor on projects that they were working on.
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