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Trooper Stories: Dante

a golf tournament cap from 2005 and Dante with his siblings

Life is... Great, but a struggle sometimes. It has its ups and downs, but I’m thankful to be alive!

What can’t you live without? My family. They are the reason why I’m here. I owe them so much.

What do you buy or pay for that you could (and maybe should) live without? Clothes, hats and other accessories like watches and shoes.

How do you make a living/earn money? I work at Chick-Fil-A and Liberty University’s Prayer Center.

What would you be doing if you didn’t have to make money? Serving somewhere with my family for the Lord, or investing in someone’s life.

The last vacation I took... was to the Bahamas.

My last social media post... “Be a difference.”

Who do you spend the most amount of time with? Friends from school.

Who has most influenced your life? My dad most definitely because he continues to set an example on how to be a godly man.

Who do you enjoy spending time with the most? My friends from Tennessee.

What’s the best advice anyone’s ever given you? When I turned 18, my dad told me: Be active, not passive, and submissive to the Lord.

I feel most like an outsider... when I am around a group of people who may not look like me or be from where I’m from.

My friends... can be annoying, but keep me laughing and wanting to be a better friend.

Dante
a wooden cross

People are... different. People forget sometimes that we are all different and must be patient with each other.

What do you want in life that you can afford? A new hat for the summer.

Money is... everything. It is everywhere.

When I encounter an obstacle to getting what I want I... ask myself if it is really worth buying or getting.

Money matters because... it keeps the world running. Supply and demand. We need money to get by. Money matters because we must support our families.

My favorite recreation is: Playing basketball or football.

The last thing I bought was: Food. It made me full.

What do you want in life that you can’t afford? A brand new 2015 Honda Accord.

How do you get what you want? I either save up or ask my parents for money. However, they usually don’t give me any cash. I earn everything myself now.

What’s your American Dream? Having a house on a hill with a wife, three or four kids, a dog and a well-paying job.

Dante playing flag football
Dante as a young boy

How is your American Dream similar or different from your parents’? It is similar in that there are four children including me, and my dad has a well-paying job.

$1,000,000 would be enough for… me to live off of the rest of my life.

Describe your relationship to money: I don’t have the best relationship with money, but I’m getting better. I used to be a big spender, but I am getting a lot better at saving.

What are your three greatest financial challenges? Spending money when it isn’t necessary, saving money and being more generous with my money.

My best trait is: My coolness.

What financial rules or recommendations seem like sound advice to you? Avoid credit cards. They can come back and bite you, especially as a college student or young adult.

What’s the biggest compliment someone can pay you? “You’re a very kind gentleman.”

What do you collect? Hats.

What vehicle do you own? A Honda Accord bought for me by my grandparents.

Cash, credit or debit card? I prefer cash because I know exactly where it went.

credit cards
a wallet with cash in it

Money or power? Power. With power I can obtain money.

Lead or follow? Lead — as long as I’m leading my followers in the right direction.

Stability or adventure? Stability. I don’t like being all over the place.

Pop star or Nobel prizewinner? Pop star. I’ve always secretly wanted to be a rapper.

Camping or condo? Condo. I’m not a huge fan of the outdoors.

Favorite possession: My shoes and hats.

More or less? More because if I have too much, I can always give it to someone who needs it.

Beverage of choice: A Shirley Temple or vanilla Coke.

Favorite meal: Fried chicken from Hattie B’s.

Favorite band/musician and how many albums you own of theirs: My favorite band is Relient K. I own all their albums.

Favorite movie: Home Alone because it is so funny and enjoyable to watch.

Favorite superhero: Spiderman because he has the coolest origin story and powers.

What one thing defines you: My kindness towards people who don’t receive much kindness from others.

fried chicken and a drink

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