Matt Balthazar

Austin, TX

I've grown up in a Christian home. Ever since I can remember we've been going to Church, and then in eighth grade, one of my friends started inviting me to go to this youth group and I was like, "You know, I'm not so sure about that" – 'cause I thought it was like a tight-knit thing... Finally he convinced me to go and a lot of my other friends were there and I was like, "Wow this must be the cool thing to do." So I was there and I just got involved... We taught a vacation Bible school and I was in charge of teaching the kids verses. In those verses it made me realize, not only did it help the kids, but it made me realize exactly what a Christian is and how they should live their life. 'Cause up until then I had been, you know, a Christian, but I hadn't been living the life that God has called me to live...

I still keep in touch with all my friends who live in Dallas and they're telling me how they go out and drink and go to these huge parties and stuff like that, and I know that I would probably be doing that same thing if I was still living in Dallas. But now that I've moved to Austin I got in with friends who don't make those decisions, that type thing. So I think that probably had a huge influence on my life... I'm glad that we moved here where I had the opportunity to make new friends in a new environment, that type of thing.

I'm thinking about studying psychology at college... I haven't decided if I want to make my one thing to do in college to play football, so... but it will help me get into the better schools that I may not be able to get into otherwise... Having an education is probably the one thing that'll get you places and so it doesn't matter what your family used to be; if you're smart and you can compete in the world, then you'll do fine... I worked as a janitorial assistant at the middle school, cleaning out lockers, that type of thing... It was the summer between seventh and eighth grade, I was thirteen I think. Before that I had told my mom, "I don't understand the point of school. I could drop out now and just get a job as a janitor or at McDonalds or whatever." And then after I did that, I realized that's not what I want to do the rest of my life.

In my fantasy future – out of college I'd take a few years off and I'd want to become a whitewater rafting guide in Belize, do that for a few years. And then after I'm done with that, come back and – it sounds really weird – but I'd want to be a professional bowler, 'cause (laughs) I just like bowling and I think a professional bowler would be fun! And then I'd want to be a missionary and then become a famous musician...