Hometown: Charleston, West Virginia
Residence: Baltimore, Maryland
Age: 33
Occupation: Defense Consultant
My Best Feature: Lips
My Worst Feature: Nose
Person I Admire: My Parents
In What Way?: Born deaf, my parents had to take on additional parenting challenges to make sure that I overcome the challenges of growing up in a hearing world.
My Life's Philosophy: Do the best you can in God's name and let Him do the rest.
Childhood Dream: I had wanted to become an Architect and design dream homes for clients
Dream Now: To become the next Anthony Bourdain! Traveling, eating and meeting people. What could be a better job than that? Haha
What is your fondest memory of summer as a child? Annual trips to Myrtle Beach with my parents.
Where would you want to be 10 years from now?I feel like I have overcome all the obstacles in my life at this point - only to look forward to being prepared for the challenges of being a loyal husband and a loving father one day. If I ever have a deaf wife or kids, I'll be well prepared to support them :-)
What do you love to do on your free time? Mountain biking and watching movies are what I normally do on my free time.
Favorite sport is football as I am a loyal West Virginia Mountaineer fan. Randy Moss is my favorite athlete because I went high school with him. I admire Tim Tebow a lot for standing strong in his faith and doesn't allow others to compromise his Christian faith when mocked. I have truly seen the work of God in Tebow and it amazes me every time he steps on the field and proves his doubters wrong with his "sub-par" quarterback skills.
Allen Lee Winfree
How much do the hearing aids allow you to hear speech, music, etc? What is your favorite thing to "hear"?
Hearing aids are instruments to help me hear sounds such as airplanes, trains, people yelling, etc. I must recollect that when I studied in China, as part of my MBA graduation requirement, I went to this theatre and heard some of the most beautiful music I have ever heard. My reaction was similar to the prisoner's in "Shawshank Redemption" when Andy locked himself in the warden's office and played a record ""Duettino - Sull'aria" for everyone to hear.
My Idea of Romance: Aside from the usual passion, affection, trustworthiness, and long walks at nights, I'm a sucker for girls who are spontaneous. "Want to go skydiving tomorrow?" "HECK YEAH!"
What Melts Your Heart: Watching little children playing and laughing with one another.
What's Beautiful to You: When my sign language interpreter uses her hands to sign to gospel music. I must admit I've had tears in my eyes...shhh!
Who is Beautiful to You: People who put others before themselves
Everyday Beautiful Thing You See: When I lived in West Virginia, I loved looking at the mountains every morning I stepped out of my door.
Guilty Pleasure: Strawberry milkshake
How do you keep these healthy?:
MIND: Naps after a stressful day on the job works wonders!
BODY: After work, I often meet up with friend for a good mountain workout. During winter, I head to the mountains to ski.
HEART: I often keep Jesus in my heart and treat people the way God intends for us to treat people. That includes removing your selfish desires against others, omit judgment toward those of different races and sexual orientations, and putting others before yourself simply because you know that God has already provided you with everything you needed.
SOUL: Spending time alone in the mountains and enjoying what nature has to offer makes me feel like a new person.
