约翰白克埃 was born in Philadelphia and raised in Richmond, 维吉尼亚州, in a tightly knit and caring family that wanted the best for their son. When the time came for 约翰 to enter high school, he enrolled at Blue Ridge, and his academic performance across the board yielded exceptionally good grades as well as the opportunity to realize and develop his remarkable abilities to become a leader. These skills were quickly recognized by his classmates as well as the faculty. He was elected by the student body to serve as a Proctor during his junior year and again as a Prefect during his senior year. The student body’s confidence in 约翰’s good judgement also saw him elected to the school’s Honor Council. During his junior and senior years, 约翰 took on the challenge of serving as the editor of the school’s yearbook. His leadership during those years helped to produce two of the best yearbooks in the school’s history. Here was a young man who had earned the respect of both his peers and the school’s faculty.
Once he had finished college, 约翰, who had developed a taste for fine wine, sought to seek entry into that challenging and competitive business. He started out working for wine distri但ors on the East Coast, 但, as his reputation grew, he was drawn in 2004 to the heartland of American’s finest wineries, 纳帕谷, 加州, where he honed his skills and earned considerable recognition.
目前, he is in charge of national sales for ZD Wines, which has 约翰 traveling throughout the United States representing their varieties of fine wines. His current inventory of wines sells for prices between thirty to seven hundred dollars a bottle. Given the richness of the land and the warm climate in 加州, the variety of wines is constantly increasing, 和约翰, whose epicurean tastes are among the best, enjoys introducing them to wine lovers all around the nation. 约翰 has established a reputation for his knowledge of the finest wines that perfectly compliment an exquisite meal. He loves the career he has chosen and has devoted himself wholeheartedly to this profession.
When asked what, as he looked back on his years at BRS, were some of the most impactful events that forged his character as a student, he first credits his experience as the yearbook editor, which taught him how to organize himself to undertake a challenging endeavor that had many parts to it. 作为一名编辑, he had to determine how to plan for and successfully complete a variety of projects all at the same time. The second challenge came as a member of the school’s Honor Council. Passing judgement on a fellow student – one who may even be a good friend – placed him in a situation where he had to make a choice between the wellbeing of his friend or of his and the school’s integrity. This experience helped to provide him with the ability to examine a situation carefully and to, 最后, do what was right and best for the greater good. The experience taught him about the importance of making the right rather than the convenient decision. He has lived by this creed throughout his adult lifetime.
约翰 is a Blue Ridge School 校友 Class Agent and a member of the Baron Fund Advisory Council.
