Southeast Technical student Adrian Torbenson with a copy of his self-published collection of poetry, Love Pain Life.

The road to recovery after a major high-speed collision and traumatic brain injury at the age of 11 is a long and painful one. Just ask Adrian Torbenson, now 21 and a student in Southeast Technical’s Network Administration program.

In a recent profile with the Winona Post, Adrian tells his story in detail, from regaining his memory and mobility after the accident to accepting the emotional aftermath through writing poetry. Poetry, Adrian discovered, was the perfect outlet for expressing both his hopes and frustrations with the recovery process. Encouraged by Southeast Technical English instructors Eric Lee and Mike Larson, Adriane recently completed a collection of 82 poems entitled Love Pain Life, now available in print through self-publishing website Lulu.com.

With a positive outlook on the road ahead, Adrian plans to enter the field of “ethical hacking,” a profession focused on helping companies safeguard private data by identifying security flaws in their network. In a passage from his poem “Go On,” Adrian admits he’s setting the bar for his future high, but overcoming long odds is something he has experience with: “I have to go on with life no matter how hard it can get / I have too many goals and dreams to call it quits.”

Read Adrian’s full profile with the Winona Post.