Shelden Daughenbaugh loves his family; in fact, he says they are the most important thing in his life. He has three sisters and one brother, and his dad is the person closest to him, impacting his life. “He has always pushed me to work hard and do better,” Daughenbaugh said.

Daughenbaugh loves the serenity of nature and enjoys the scenery in Niagara Falls, which is a place he visited when he was younger. As a child, Daughenbaugh wanted to become an astronomer since he has always liked looking at the stars.

When he is older, Daughenbaugh would like to move to a bigger city in Iowa. He plans to attend DMACC to become a carpenter, a career his brother inspired him to follow. “Ever since I was little I have always wanted to be known for something,” Daughenbaugh said. Graduating high school will be one of the events he is most proud of.

Motivated by his family and friends, Daughenbaugh seeks to have an impact on people’s existence. “Making a big impact in people’s lives is just going to make a bigger impact in your own,” he said. Three of his main goals are making people happy, having a well-paying job and being well-known.

“Never give up on your dreams just because people say you will never make it,” Daughenbaugh said. He has learned that the main key for succeeding depends on your decisions and actions. “If you always seem to fail with the choices you make, forge a new path and make new choices,” Daughenbaugh said.