About Me

My name is Seth Lockwood. I was born and raised in Rochester, New York, where I lived for the first 18 years of my life. I grew up with my mom, dad, and my sister Samantha, and I was fortunate to have most of my extended family living nearby. We have always been a close family and spent a lot of time together. One of the traditions I remember most is our Sunday night dinners, where our extended family would regularly get together, eat, talk, and spend time with each other.

Growing up, I was always involved in something and enjoyed trying different things. I played just about every sport at some point, but fishing became one of my biggest interests. My dad and I spent a lot of time fishing together, especially during the summers. We would fish for salmon on Lake Ontario and even compete in salmon tournaments. Some of my favorite memories growing up came from those times with my dad. More recently, I have developed a passion for golf. I enjoy playing with a group of guys I've gotten to know, improving my game, and spending time with friends while doing something I enjoy.

My friends have also been a very important part of my life. During high school, I became part of a group of friends we called the Practical Comedians. We spent a lot of time together, whether it was having sleepovers, going out for breakfast, hanging out, or just finding ways to have fun. Those friendships gave me some of my favorite memories from high school and taught me how important it is to have good people around you.

Church was another important part of my life growing up. I was involved with Trinity Communion Church, pastored by Eric Ockrin, as well as Browncroft Community Church. I attended both youth groups and had the opportunity to meet a lot of people and become involved in different church communities.

My faith became much more personal to me during high school. In ninth grade, one of my teachers had donuts sitting on the counter in his classroom. I asked if I could have one, and he told me I could if I came to a Christian club that met in the morning. I started going because I was curious, but I continued going because I genuinely wanted to figure out whether Christianity was actually true.

For a long time, I had been searching for a sense of fulfillment and purpose in life. Because of that, I started asking questions and researching Christianity for myself. I didn't want to simply believe something because someone else told me to. I wanted to understand it and find out whether there were real answers behind what Christianity claimed. As I continued researching and learning, I became convinced that Christianity provided answers that I couldn't simply dismiss. The following year, I went to a Young Life summer camp, where I made the decision to give my life to Jesus.

That decision became a major part of who I am today. As I continued growing in my faith, I developed a heart for serving others and had the opportunity to participate in several service trips. Those experiences allowed me to meet people from different backgrounds and showed me how meaningful it can be to use your time and abilities to help others.

Another important part of my life was working at the Eastside YMCA. I worked there for over a year as a lifeguard and swim instructor. I really enjoyed the community at the YMCA and the people I met there. I made a lot of great memories and learned a lot through working with people, teaching kids, and taking responsibility for others.

For most of my life, Rochester was everything I knew. My family, friends, churches, work, hobbies, and everyday life were all there. After 18 years, I made the decision to leave that familiar life and relocate to Costa Rica.

Today, I live in Jacó, Costa Rica. Moving here has been a major change, but it has also given me the opportunity to experience a different culture, meet new people, become more independent, and grow in ways I wouldn't have been able to by staying in the same place. It has also given me the opportunity to take the desire to serve others that has been growing in me for years and make it a much bigger part of my life.

Looking back, I can see how many different parts of my life have shaped where I am today. My family taught me the importance of community, my friends gave me countless memories, fishing gave me special time with my dad, golf has given me a new passion, the YMCA taught me responsibility and gave me a love for working with people, and my faith gave me a purpose that has shaped the direction of my life.

I’m grateful for the life I've had in Rochester and for all the people who have helped me become who I am. Now, as I begin this new chapter in Costa Rica, I'm excited to continue growing, learning, building relationships, and making the most of the opportunities in front of me.