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| Affiliation | Democratic |
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| Name | Jerrad S. Christian |
| Address | 8239 Hickory Ave
Galena, Ohio , United States |
| Email | None |
| Website | None |
| Born |
Unknown |
| Died |
Still Living
(2025 years) |
| Contributor | BrentinCO |
| Last Modifed | BrentinCO
Jan 24, 2024 11:35am |
| Tags |
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| Info | Jerrad Shane Christian
I grew up under impoverished conditions in the Appalachian region of Ohio. It was the kind of poverty that left my mother uncertain about whether we'd have enough to eat the next day. The areas in which I grew up held few opportunities for personal growth, and most felt limited to two options: becoming a factory worker or enlisting in the military.
My senior year of high school, we were unexpectedly corralled into the auditorium to take a test which turned out to be the ASVAB. A few months later, the results arrived, offering us two lists - one revealing the best and the other the worst career choices for each of us. To this day, I remember the top entries on each list: the best job for me was shown to be secret agent. The worst was a janitor.
When the call to seek new experience won out, I made the decision to join the US Navy where I served as a flight deck fueler on an aircraft carrier during Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom for my initial two years. After successfully surviving the hazards of the flight deck, I transitioned to the role of meteorologist and oceanographer while stationed in Naples, Italy for three years.
Upon my honorable discharge, I discovered that pursuing a civilian career in meteorology and oceanography required formal degrees, which I didn't possess. Consequently, I became an outdoor education teacher for a non-profit organization, teaching children various skills, including team building, science, survival, and history. While fulfilling, the experience lacked financial stability, prompting me to explore new opportunities.
I used my GI Bill funds to attend Ohio University, but my resulting financial situation at that time was so tight that I couldn't afford heat during the winter, relying on neighboring apartments and shops to prevent my pipes from freezing, and rice became a dietary staple.
A few years and changed jobs later, I was invited to move to LA after a close friend decided to relocate. After selling my belongings, leaving me with only three boxes and my television, I began planning my latest adventure.
Life, however, had different plans, and a few weeks before I was supposed to move, my girlfriend and I learned that she was pregnant.
This news prompted me to prioritize my family's well-being, so I decided against moving to LA. I instead accepted the first job offer that came my way; which happened to be as a janitor in a factory.
Over the following four years, I worked hard, saved diligently, studied, and sought the education to make the leap to a software engineering career.
Today, I remain a software engineer, but my stint in the US Navy as a meteorologist provided me with profound insight into climate and its workings, and transformed me into a staunch advocate for reducing our nation's dependence on oil. My experiences with poverty granted invaluable experience in budgeting and making every dollar count, and my roots in rural Ohio instilled in me the belief that when good people come together, there's no challenge we can't overcome.
All of these experiences lead to this moment and mindset in which I knew I had to act to bring real leadership with integrity for my community located in Ohio’s 12th Congressional district - a largely poor and rural district that is sorely lacking an advocate.
A Republican by default for most of my life, after Trump came to power and I saw what his rhetoric of hate and divisiveness was doing to our country I and I decide it was time to be a part of something that more accurately reflected my ideals.
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