Brb, gonna call my Dad and tell him how much I appreciate him.

One of the heartbreaking realities of this world is that sadly, not everyone grows up with a good dad. I consider myself unbelievably lucky and privileged to have had such an awesome father. He taught me to work hard, to listen and think critically, to appreciate and seek out culture and knowledge, and to always stay humble and let my achievements speak for themselves.

One of the things he taught me that's stuck with me my whole life was something that he said almost in passing when I was maybe 7 years old. We were watching news footage from some war in Eastern Europe, and shots of bullet-ridden buildings and once-beautiful architecture and statues flashed across the screen. My father simply said, "It takes a long, long time to make something beautiful. But any idiot with a weapon can destroy it in seconds."

Those words set me on a lifelong path of creativity. I understood that creation is a far more essential and powerful force than destruction - and one that takes infinitely more skill to master.