By Dorian Stokes

Editor’s note: Bryan County News intern Dorian Stokes first assignment was to tell readers a little about herself. She did. Read on. Look for more of her work in upcoming issues of the News.

I believe that if you love something, whether it is a creative hobby or fixing watches, you should pursue it 100 percent. That way every day you wake up you can remind yourself of the career that you love. However, I am getting way ahead of myself. Before I talk more about that, I have to introduce who I am. My name is Dorian Stokes, and I am a 16-year-old sophomore at Bryan County High School. I have spent all of my life in Pembroke, Georgia, and it’s definitely a place I will always remember no matter where I end up.

When I was younger, I wanted to be so many things. I remember as a 6-year-old that I had told everyone I wanted to be a doctor. My best friend and I would call each other on the phone to talk about colleges in Hawaii that we were going to attend together. I had yet to graduate elementary school, but I already knew I would be graduating from college with my best friend.

Later on, I decided I would be a ballerina with the tutu and the ballet slippers. I would attend Julliard and later work for one of New York’s finest dance companies. This went on for a while, and I have to admit, I still dream about what it would be like to professionally and gracefully, dance in front of thousands of people every night. Unfortunately, I have the gracefulness of a newborn giraffe, and I’m about as clumsy as the next girl going through puberty. So, I decided I wasn’t up for the job. Middle school was a turning point to where I am now.

In sixth grade, I joined the soccer team, and also started the BCMS debate club.

For the entirety of this club, I loved arguing. This led me to decide I had actually wanted to be a lawyer, but not just any kind of lawyer. I strived to be Elle Woods in Legally Blonde.

Moving on to more recent times, I have compressed innumerable amounts of activities into my schedule for the past two years of high school.

As a teenager, I have always loved being busy and throwing myself into every window of opportunity.

I am dual enrolled at East Georgia State College where I have completed five classes so far.

I do many different extracurriculars such as cheerleading, tennis, and the National Beta club. I am the publicist of the Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) club at BCHS and the Sophomore class president. I also enjoy volunteering at community events and mentoring children to become better leaders and to guide them to make positive choices. I have recently come back from Washington D.C. with our SADD club where I gave a presentation on how to lead a youth-led Drug-Free Coalition, and where I also spoke with U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter on what our school and our community was doing to keep our youth on the right track. When I am by myself, I like to sing and write music, as well as play the piano, guitar, and violin.

I enjoy working and doing for others, and I have grown up to be passionate and emotional about anything I set my mind to.

I have to say that by doing this, I was offered an internship for the Bryan County News, and I cannot hide my excitement! I am thrilled to be able to learn and become a great writer, and to be apart of something vital to county communication.

From doctor to ballerina to lawyer to journalist, I’ve spent every one of these ideas pushing forward to become a better person for others. So, get ready to hear more from me! I’m gonna be around for a while.