ETHAN ASHER HAS A SMILE THAT LIGHTS UP A ROOM. IT’S BEEN A LONG JOURNEY FOR ETHAN AND HIS FAMILY FROM AN AUGUST CAR WRECK TO GRADUATING HIGH SCHOOL WITH HONORS AND A 4.114 GPA. ETHAN IS AN INSPIRATION AND I WAS ABLE TO SIT DOWN WITH HIM FOR A 1-ON-1 INTERVIEW AND FEEL PRIVILEGED TO SHARE HIS STORY. ETHAN SAYS IT WAS A CRAZY MOMENT TO FINALLY GRADUATE HIGH SCHOOL AND GOES ON TO DETAIL HOW FAITH AND FAMILY IS A BIG REASON HE IS WHERE HE IS TODAY…
“THEY HELP REMIND ME THAT ALL THIS STUFF THAT HAPPENED TO ME, YEAH IT WAS A SHOCK TO ME AND EVERYBODY ELSE BUT TO GOD, BECAUSE WE’RE SO FAITHFUL, THIS HAS ALWAYS BEEN A PART OF HIS PLAN AND HE’S ALWAYS SEEN THIS COMING. IT’S JUST KIND OF HELPED REMIND ME LIKE, YEAH THIS IS KIND OF DIFFERENT BUT IT’S ALWAYS BEEN A PART OF THE PLAN. ITS JUST ALWAYS BEEN A PART OF HIS PLAN. THIS IS WHAT I’VE HAD TO GO THROUGH AND THIS IS, HE’S ALWAYS SEEN ME HAVE TO GO THROUGH THINGS.”
EACH DAY ETHAN TAKES THINGS ONE STEP AT A TIME. FROM GOING TO PHYSICAL THERAPY 3 TIMES A WEEK PLUS MASSAGE THERAPY AND MORE, ETHAN IS SOMEONE WHO HAS ALWAYS BEEN INDEPENDENT AND NOW THAT SUMMER IS HERE HE OUTLINES HIS SHORT TERM GOALS.
“RIGHT NOW I’M JUST KIND OF TRYING TO GET THROUGH THE PROCESS OF DOING THINGS ON MY OWN. SO THAT SOMETIME TIME SOON I’LL BE ABLE TO, LIKE I WON’T NEED MY PARENTS TO HELP ME THROUGH EVERYTHING. LIKE I’LL BE ABLE TO JUST GET THROUGH THINGS ALL BY MYSELF. JUST BECOME MORE INDEPENDENT IS MY PERSONAL GOAL RIGHT NOW.”
ONE OF THE GREATEST MOMENTS OF HIS SENIOR YEAR CAME DURING THE STATE CHAMPIONSHIP FOOTBALL GAME WHEN POWELL TOOK ON STAR VALLEY. THAT WAS THE FIRST TIME ETHAN WAS ABLE TO TAKE TO THE FIELD WITH HIS TEAMMATES. ETHAN AND HIS MOM TIFFANY SHARE HOW SPECIAL OF A MOMENT THAT WAS.
“IT WAS PRETTY NICE CAUSE I WENT INTO THE DOME THAT THEY WERE PRACTICING IN AND WAS THERE WHEN THEY WERE ALL PRACTICING. AT FIRST IT WAS KIND OF CRAZY AND HEARTBREAKING TO BE IN THERE, CAUSE I WAS LIKE, YOU GUYS ARE ALL IN YOUR PADS AND I WAS THINKING LIKE, I FORGOT TO GET DRESSED. LIKE I GOT TO GET MY PADS ON. I JUST THOUGHT LIKE, I’M NOT READY FOR THIS YET AND THEN IT GOT TO THE POINT WHERE I WAS JUST, I’M AS READY FOR THIS AS YOU GUYS ARE. I MIGHT THINK THAT I DIDN’T HELP GET YOU GUYS HERE BUT THEY ALL KEPT TELLING ME THAT I WAS THE REASON THAT THEY WERE THERE. IT WAS A GOOD THING FOR ME TO GO THROUGH.”
HIS MOM TIFFANY CONTINUED BY SAYING, “THE SUMMER BEFORE THE SEASON STARTED, THERE’S A GROUP OF SENIORS THAT WENT TO STATE AS FRESHMEN, AND SO IT WAS KIND OF THEIR PACT TOGETHER TO GET BACK TO STATE. THE SENIORS REALLY HELD ONTO THAT AND SO I THINK HAVING ETHAN THEIR AT STATE WITH THEM, JUST KIND OF COMPLETED THAT CHAPTER FOR ALL OF THEM. THEIR GOAL ALL SUMMER LONG, THEIR GOAL PRE-SEASON, UP UNTIL THE ACCIDENT AND EVEN FOR THE REST OF THE TEAM THROUGH THE ACCIDENT, WAS TO GET TO STATE. SO I THINK IT WAS REALLY COOL FOR ETHAN TO STILL GET TO BE A PART OF IT. AND HE DID SAY TO THE BOYS WHEN WE WERE ALL STANDING ON THE FIELD ‘JUST FEELS WEIRD THAT I’M NOT OUT THERE WITH YOU.’ EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM SAID ‘NO DUDE, YOU’RE TOTALLY OUT HERE WITH US.”
AS FOR WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS, ETHAN PLANS ON ATTENDING COLLEGE. WHILE HE IS UNSURE WHAT HIS MAJOR IS GOING TO BE HE THINKS TEACHING AS WELL AS COACHING IS IN HIS FUTURE.
“THE COLLEGE WE HAVE HERE IN TOWN. AT FIRST I THINK THAT’S WHAT I’LL PROBABLY END UP DOING. JUST TO HELP ME REALIZE ALL THE STUFF THAT I CAN DO BY MYSELF AND THEN UNTIL I GET COMPLETELY INDEPENDENT, I THINK I MIGHT END UP GOING TO THE UNIVERSITY OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. I PLAN ON BEING A TEACHER SO THAT I AM ABLE TO COACH ON A FOOTBALL TEAM, OR SOMETHING, SOMEWHERE.”
ETHAN ON WHAT IT WOULD MEAN TO BECOME A FOOTBALL COACH.
“COACHING A TEAM WOULD BE AMAZING AND JUST REALLY WOULD SHOW ME, TO ME PERSONALLY, JUST HOW FAR I’VE COME. AT THE START OF THIS I USED TO HAVE TO DEPEND ON MY PARENTS DOING EVERYTHING FOR ME. AND THEN TO BE ABLE TO GET TO THE POINT WHERE I AM ABLE TO GET MY OWN JOB SOMEWHERE… THAT WOULD JUST BE, THAT WOULD BE A MILESTONE.”
ETHAN GOES ON TO OFFER SOME ADVICE TO ANYONE THAT NEEDS IT.
“YOUR MEMORIES IN HIGH SCHOOL ARE IMPORTANT. FOR ME I DIDN’T QUITE REALIZE IT UNTIL, HOW IMPORTANT THEY WERE, UNTIL I LOST THEM. IT’S IMPORTANT TO ALWAYS DO YOUR BEST AND GIVE YOUR BEST TO WHATEVER TEACHER YOU HAVE CAUSE YOU NEVER KNOW HOW THAT TEACHER IS GOING TO HAVE TO HELP AFFECT YOUR FUTURE. AND WHAT YOU DO IN THE FUTURE.
COMING UP THIS YEAR ETHAN WILL JOIN THE POWELL PANTHERS FOOTBALL PROGRAM AS A VOLUNTEER ASSISTANT COACH UNDER HEAD COACH CHASE KISTLER. NO MATTER WHAT THE ODDS MAY BE ETHAN SAYS HIS ULTIMATE GOAL IS TO BE ABLE TO WALK AGAIN.
“I’D JUST LIKE TO THANK ALL THE SUPPORT THAT ALL THE KIDS I WENT TO HIGH SCHOOL GAVE ME AND NOT EVEN JUST THE HIGH SCHOOLERS. EVEN JUST THE TEACHERS. JUST TO THANK ALL OF THE STUFF THAT ALL OF THEM, HOW MUCH EVERYONE CARED ABOUT ME. I DIDN’T REALIZE THAT UNTIL IT GOT TO THE POINT WHERE I NEEDED THAT. AND THEN I JUST, IT JUST BLEW ME AWAY.”
