Name: Torie Holden
Age: 20
Hometown: Buford
High school: Mill Creek High School
Major: Marketing; transferring to Savannah College of Art and Design
Expected graduation date: 2019
Why did you choose Dalton State? My senior year of high school ended up going down a different path then what I had been expecting. Dalton State had been one of those schools who continuously gave me a chance to prove myself even though I graduated a month before school started. I actually fell in love with the atmosphere of the campus, the people, and the scenery during a visit and knew that this was where I belonged. It wasn’t a big college where you’d forget everyone but a college where everyone becomes memorable and a part of your daily lives.
What do you plan to do after graduation? I want to become a Creative Director for Rooster Teeth or Riot Games. I’d be happy though with any type of marketing/branding in the game industry.
Who is/was your favorite professor and why? Professor Matt Hipps. I was a quiet kid, but Professor Hipps saw the best in me and gave me a chance to be a peer mentor and has always been there with a listening ear.
What activities are you involved in on campus? I’m president of Rotaract and am currently a Resident Assistant at Mashburn Hall. I also am the VP of Programming and PR for RHA in the residence hall.
What are some of your biggest achievements or accomplishments at Dalton State? My biggest achievement, I believe, is my artwork is getting recognized. Last year, I was offered marketing assistant prior to becoming a RA. This was the first time that I felt like I was accomplishing something with what I was designing and now I help others with flyers and it has really showed me that this is what I want to do for the rest of my life.
What are some of your favorite activities in and around Dalton? Visiting Sweet Treat and creating a questionably delicious treat and occasionally going to the movie theater here in Dalton. On lazier days, I just take my hammock and find a good pair of trees and take a nap or read a book.
Where is your favorite study spot? The learning commons in Mashburn Hall.
Where is your favorite hangout? It would be the game room in the Pope Center. I met tons of new gamers this year in there, and it was interesting seeing how everyone meshed.
What is your best memory so far as part of the Roadrunner Nation? My best memory happened this year, being a part of the RA staff on a retreat. We had gone to a go-karting place for one of the first nights. I had picked out a black kart with a nice red stripe (obviously thinking it was the fastest) and all the RAs lined up in rows. You could tell how completive we all are, with occasionally bumping one another. I had kept to myself most of my freshman year, and this moment really helped bring me out of my shell. That memory is one I’ll always hold close to me.
What is the last book you read? The last book I read was the “Winner’s Crime” by Marie Rutkoski.
Favorite comfort food? Cheesecake, definitely.
If you had a theme song, what would it be? “Kids of the Dark” by All Time Low.
Favorite line from a movie? “Take what you can and give nothing back”- Jack Sparrow.
If you could only keep five possessions, what would they be? I’d keep my mother’s letters, my grandfather’s ring, my laptop (I have the cloud on it and all my designing programs), my stuffed panda bear, and my Playstation.
What cheers you up? Reading a new book or creating something. It’s a tie between those.
Who is your hero? I’d have to say, my grandmother. We bicker a lot, but the person she is is someone I want to be. She withstands the fight and can keep her head up even when there isn’t much to hold on to. She’s always had my back and been my number one supporter.
Who would play you in the movie version of your life? My twin, Meghan Trainor
If you could go back in history, who would you like to meet? I’d like to meet Edgar Allen Poe. I always had a fascination with his writings growing up.
What did you want to be when you were a kid? There are two things, the first is more logical, as I wanted to be a writer. Now, I was always eccentric growing up. I really wanted to be a mermaid pirate who rode dragons for a living.
What does it mean to you to be part of the Roadrunner Nation? For me, to be a part of Roadrunner Nation, is to give everyone around me a chance like the school did for me. I’m always fighting for what’s not just in my best interest, but for everyone’s. At the end of the day, if I have made at least one person realize their inner strength, then that is a success for me. It’s to be a part of something bigger than just me. It’s the residents, the commuters, the professors, and staff who are all in this with me and that I’m here for them just as they are for me. To be a Roadrunner, is to have an open shoulder for someone to lean on when they need it and to help myself and everyone around me grow into the leaders of tomorrow.