Dandrick Eldridge is 29 years old, born in Terrell, Texas. As a child, he moved around a lot until he got to middle school, at which time he, his mom, and his two younger siblings moved to Cedar Hill, Texas, where he stayed until he graduated high school.
AMPS: What is your passion? I was told you were always a selfless being wanting to help others. Can you tell me a little more about it?
Dandrick: Growing up, I saw my mom and my nana doing so much for me. I wanted to go harder and provide for others. I watched them strive and go so hard for me working twelve hours a day before coming home, attending to me and my school work, cooking, cleaning, and taking care of us. They made me want to be a better man, helping and providing for others. I wanted to do the best that I could do even though I was just a child. The older I got, the more I enjoyed helping others because it put smiles on their faces even when they were going through hard times. I know what hard times are like, and I just wanted the best for everyone. I wanted to be a lawyer when I was younger because I thought it was the best way to help people fight their cases and fight for their rights. I wanted to help them fight for things that would make them and their families happy.
AMPS: Where do you see yourself in five years, regarding your goals and your own passion?
Dandrick: My goals changed as I got older and got a family of my own. Before, it was more “get rich,” “have fame,” those were my goals. However, I could get those things, that’s what I wanted to do. But as I got older, I started having kids and my mind frame changed. I wanted to be a provider and support my kids, helping them pursue their goals and passions in life. So my passion in life is to help them pursue their passions in life. If they can do that, then I’ll be happy as a father.
AMPS: What are your main goals?
Dandrick: To make sure that my kids succeed in life and make better life choices than I did by leading by example.
AMPS: Have you set any goals for yourself and what are they?
Dandrick: I will never give up. I will always keep trying and I will always continue to better myself more and more every day. When I say not to give up and keep trying to better myself, I mean that I want to keep doing those things even when I feel tired. I still need to get up and go to work; I still need to take my kids to school even when I’m tired or frustrated from my job. If something bad has happened, I still need to think positive and find a better outcome for that situation. I want to set a good example for my children. I can’t let them think that when something bad happens, they should just quit and try something else. If I want to set a good example, I have to keep going and striving no matter how hard or how bad it is until I succeed.
AMPS: What would you tell your younger self, now that you’ve made it this far?
Dandrick: You’re going to hit blocks, you’re going to hit humps that you don’t think that you can get over, and you’re going to want to change course. You’re going to want to do something else other than that because you can’t get past it. Don’t give up. Don’t get discouraged, because those things happen in life. If you’re striving toward what you want to do in life, it’s only going to get better. Don’t do something that someone else wants you to do, do it because it’s what you want to do. In the long run, that’s what’s going to be best for you.
AMPS: What would you say to someone who’s holding back on pursuing what they want to do in life because of what someone else thinks?
Dandrick: I would ask them: Do you love and enjoy what you do? You should never let anyone discourage you from doing what you love to do because at the end of the day, it’s your life and you have to live it to the fullest. No one controls your life but you and you being happy is all that should matter.
Image By: Robert Wright
