Tell me about yourself?
Well, I'm 22 years old, and I just graduated from Gardner-Webb University this past May with my BA Degree in Communication Studies. I double majored in Video & Film Production and Theater. I'm not really sure what to do with my degree yet, so in the mean time I'm working at Chick-fil-A and looking for some private video jobs to give me some experience.
I come from a small family. I'm an only child and the only grandchild on both sides. My dad is an only child, and my mom has a brother but he still lives at home in my grandmother's basement. I'm a preacher's kid, so for me church and the Bible were always just part of life growing up. I went to a small private Christian school called Merrimon Christian School in Asheville, NC, from kindergarten through 8th grade. I never really hung out with any of the kids my age, so I spent much of my childhood alone or with my family. Then when I was about to go into high school, my parents decided that Merrimon wasn't preparing me well enough for college, so they put me into the public school system... from a class of 30 students to a class of 400. I didn't know how to handle it and kept to myself for a couple of years, and didn't really make any friends until my junior year. And then they weren't friends I should have had. I never really did anything terribly bad, but I just wasn't where I should have been. Coming to Gardner-Webb really got me back on track and introduced me to some of the best friends I could ever have asked for.
I love theater. I’ve been involved with theater heavily since my sophomore year in high school. I’ve been a part of roughly 35 individual productions since then, and have had an acting role in nearly half of those. I love the theater, but I don’t really see myself having a career there. To me, theater is more of a hobby.
Where were you born?
Born and raised in Asheville, NC. Until coming to Boiling Springs I lived in the same house for all but about 6 months of my life.
Do you have any brothers or sisters?
Nope, I'm the only one. My mom was pregnant before she had me but miscarried, so I have a sibling I've yet to meet in heaven. Being an only child was nice at times because it meant I was always the center of attention. But I really feel at times like I've missed out on something by not having a brother or sister.
Did you move around a lot as a kid/now?
My family has never really moved around much. Like I just said, I lived in the same house for all but the first 6 months of my life.
Are your parents divorced?
Nope, my parents are happily married.
Do you want to get married and have kids one day?
I'd love to, but I don't see that happening for a while. First of all, before getting married, I need a girlfriend. And secondly, I've only just recently moved out on my own and tried my hand at taking care of myself. I want to make sure I know what I'm doing there first before trying to take care of a family!
How did you come to Gardner Webb?
Well, my college search came down to four schools, all of which accepted me. There was Appalachian State University, Western Carolina University, Campbell University, and Gardner-Webb University. After visiting Appalachian, I dismissed it pretty quickly. Western had some state-of-the-art equipment I was itching to learn to use, but I just didn't have a comfortable feeling about it. So my family and I decided to pray about Gardner-Webb and Campbell. Well, for some reason I thought that my family would prefer it if I went to Campbell, so my prayers were along the lines of, "God, if you want me to go to Campbell, give me a peace about it and let me know." But I never did really feel like I was certain it was the right thing for me to do.
So I told my family to pray about Gardner-Webb. Suddenly, I felt at peace about it, like there was no doubt for me. So I told my family about my decision. When I told my dad, he told me that he had had a dream that night where God had told him He had told me where I should go and signed it with His name. I thought that was kind of weird. Then I got a piece of mail. You know how you get letters from admissions counselors from all the schools that accept you giving you information or telling you what to do next? And they always sign it, "Sincerely," then their name? Well I got one from my admissions counselor at GWU, Amy Callahan. And she signed the letter, "In Christ, Amy Callahan." Call it a coincidence or whatever, but that's all I needed.
What do you want to do with your life?
Still working on that one. I know I love video production and theater. I'd like to do some independent filmmaking or videography work, but getting into the field isn't as easy as I'd like it to be.
Are you dating someone right now?
Not at the moment, no.
How do you relieve stress?
Depends. Sometimes I like to just relax and listen to some music, sometimes I write, sometimes I enjoy just being alone, sometimes I need to get out and be with friends. It just depends.
What irritates you in other people?
I would have to say when someone thinks that they are right no matter what and will not listen to what anyone else has to say. I don’t care if you’re right or not, at least take the time to consider other people’s perspectives rather than being dogmatic about your own position!
What kind of things do you like to do?
Act, write, hang out at the coffee shop, spend time with friends, hike, watch movies and analyze them.
What do you want people to know about you?
I may tend to keep to myself from time to time, but I really can be quite outgoing and I love being around people. I’ve spent so much of my life alone, I can be unintentionally awkward from time to time just because I don’t know what to do with myself around groups of people. But once I get to know you, I’ll do anything for you.
If you could give one piece of advice to the world, what would it be?
Follow your dreams, but not at the expense of God's will. That's something I've been learning lately. The last thing I want to do is go back to Asheville. I guess I'm kind of afraid I'll get stuck there like the rest of my family. I want to stay near Shelby, where all my friends are. But recently I've begun to feel that I'm being led to move elsewhere, possibly back to Asheville for a while. If that's what God wants me to do, then I need to just do it regardless of what I want. For all I know, something wonderful might happen there.
If there was one thing in the world that you could change, what would it be?
People fighting non-stop over stupid stuff. I wish people could just get along, regardless of culture, religion, race, customs, etc.
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