About Me

My name is Colin McLeod. I graduated last spring from The Oregon State University with degrees in Accounting and Finance. I am currently working full time for a Big 4 Public Accounting firm in Portland, OR.

Growing up I was extremely blessed to be raised by two loving parents in the suburbs of Wilsonville, OR. I've loved sports since I was able to play them. I was fortunate enough to excel in sports like basketball, baseball and football and played them all throughout high school and even a short stint of football in college at Oregon State. I still love sports with a passion. Looking back at all of the different situations you are put in as an athlete, you really learn a lot of skills that translate seamlessly to life. Teamwork, cooperation, being able to deal with adversity, forgetting what you just did because it can’t affect what you do next, etc...

I originally went to college at Colorado State University with my high school girlfriend. You could imagine how that went, we broke up in September 2008 and I transferred to OSU after I finished up the term. I only mention this because this was really the first time I had been smacked in the face by reality, and as a result my mind began to change and I was seeing life from a different angle. None the less I learned a lot from that decision whether directly or indirectly so I can't sit here and tell you that was a bad decision because at the end of the day I learned a lot about myself from it. It might have been hard to see at the time but some major life events happened shortly thereafter that gave me an entirely new perspective on life as I knew it.

My father passed away unexpectedly at the age of 54 in November 2008 while I was finishing the last term in Colorado. He died of a pulmonary embolism, which was a result of a blood clot in his leg that broke off and severely blocked his pulmonary arteries in his lungs. To this day part of me still can’t believe it, but at the same time I don't know if I would be where I am today in my life without dealing with this tragedy. From November until the end of the year I felt as if I grew up overnight. My outlook on life changed, I had more responsibilities around the house, it almost felt like I had a different 'role' within my family, and instead of being able to feel like an average 19 year old kid, I felt like an adult almost overnight.

That experience shaped the way I look at everything today. It forced me to look at the positive side of things and not worry so much about the negative. For example, I had a loving father in my life for 19 years. There's people in this world growing up without any presence of a loving father, so how can I feel so upset about it when I know it could always be worse? It forced me to be proactive about things in my own life I wasn't happy with. Sitting back and waiting for things to come to you is great if you can wait, but some things can’t wait, and if you wait too long they might be gone forever.

So here I am today. Wanting to be the best that I can be even though those who I want to share it with the most isn’t around to see it. That personal hunger that I have is what I want to share. If you’re not happy with something, don't complain, make a change. You’re the captain of your own ship. If you're unhappy in the direction your going, don't hesitate to correct your course and keep it moving.

-Colin