My Favorite Types of Stories!

I’ve had the privilege of interviewing a lot of people in my relatively short career so far.

You don’t mind if I name-drop do you?

Off the top of my head….American Idol winner Phillip Phillips, The Vampire Diaries actress Kat Graham, Disney star Stefanie Scott, singer Spencer Sutherland, The Carrie Diaries actor Jake Robinson, celebrity florist Ian Prosser, former OSU football player (and Super Bowl winner!) James Cotton, author Walter Kimbrough, former Cincinnati Mayor Mark Mallory, and the first Black president of Ohio University Roderick McDavis. Via satellite, I’ve interviewed Ian Somerhalder, Joseph Morgan, James Purefoy, Wendy Williams, Isaiah Washington, Eliza Taylor, Adelaide Kane, and Trisha Goddard

However, one of the things I love to do as a feature reporter is tell stories about people living their dreams right here in Columbus, Ohio.

Why? Because for the longest time, I believed that everything I really wanted in my life – lasting love, my dream job, close friends – could only be acquired if I lived anywhere but here.

The days leading up to my college graduation, I couldn’t wait to pack my bags and move somewhere else, anywhere else to start living the fabulous life I had planned.

Then my dad passed away. Suddenly. Just ten days after my graduation. I was immediately named the executor of his estate. (I had to Google what that meant.) My estate lawyer sentenced me to living in Columbus for at least two more years while I took care of everything. (Who knew that you have to live in the state of Ohio in order to be the executor of an estate?)

I was miserable.  I was devastated because my dad passed away and I was sad because I felt that my entire life was put on hold right when my life was supposed to start in a fun, new city.  I dutifully got a cheap apartment, found an embarrassingly low-paying job and moped around Columbus feeling immensely sorry for myself.

But then, slowly (or quickly depending upon how you look at it!), things started to turn around. Fast forward to now, less than five years later, I met – and married! – a great guy, landed my dream job in my hometown, and opened my eyes to the fantastic city that I live in…plus I have the underestimated privilege of knowing a ton of people around here! Isn’t God good?!

Many young people think that they have to move to New York, Los Angeles or some other big city to make it. And I know firsthand that it’s easy to get into the habit of believing that the life we want is anywhere but here. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to relocate or make some other substantial life change, but if we do find ourselves unable to make that change (for whatever reason), we can still have exactly what we want exactly where we are. I did it and plenty of other people are doing it too.

So, I like to seek these people out and tell their stories if only just to encourage someone that dreams do come true – right here in Columbus. Here are just a few!

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New Hollow, Rock Band

Christon Gray, Singer/Rapper

I was going to post just the one story on Christon Gray, but I had all of this footage and I couldn’t let it go to waste! So, for CW Star Sounds, I rewrote my intro and added ten minutes of interview and two minutes of him playing piano and singing at the end!

Kassie Haji, Fashion Designer

Yaves Ellis, Rapper/Producer/Radio Personality

Lubna Parks, Fashion Designer

I did two versions because I didn’t want any of the interviews to go to waste!

Four Delaware HS Students earn spot in White House Student Film Festival