By Shane Akers

It is no secret that Greensboro College is home to many great talents. From angelic singers to exceptional athletes, no matter where you look, you are sure to find something amazing. But if you turn away from the conventional talents on display and look a bit closer around the place many of us call home, you may find something truly extraordinary.

For example, if you spend some time over at the Pride field, you may see a wonderfully tattooed woman decked out in goggles and gear. When I first met Kiera Fenyo, I was
immediately transfixed by her tattoos as I was recently starting my own journey into artistry. From simple butterflies to intricate lions, you will find them scattered all across her
arms and legs. I always wondered where Fenyo got her tattoos done. But what I was not aware of until recently was that the young athlete, in fact, did her own tattoos!

Fenyo told me that her love for tattoos came from her deep appreciation of the many art
forms that life has to offer.

“Though I have never considered myself to be an artist because I was never good at drawing or painting, that interest has never gone away. I do feel that I have a creative mind when it comes to art-related things, as I enjoy fashion, music and video/photography. With the realization that there are many other forms of art, came the idea to explore tattoos.”

Fenyo’s journey into tattoos started when she began noticing the different ways that they could be done or, in her words, “the different styles, placements and meanings behind them.”

They truly inspired her to the point that she eventually took the little doodles and designs she would draw in class and had her cousin tattoo them for her. Then, in 2022, she bought her own tattoo gun, solidifying her start. Now she plans on falling back on an apprenticeship if (heaven
forbid) her professional career does not work out.

Now, if you walk over to the Cowan building, you may encounter the well-styled Brianna Miller in the ECM program. The first time I saw Miller, she was wearing a straight, jet black lace front.
So, you could imagine my surprise when I saw her a few days later and her hair was in the most intricate up-do loc style that I had seen since first coming to Greensboro.

For those who might not be as deep into hair culture as others, this might not seem like such a big feat. But truly, the amount of work that it takes to fully lay down a shoulder-length set of locs under a lace cap is unprecedented, only truly seen among professionally-trained hairstylists. As I got to know Miller, I eventually discovered that she not only does her own hair, and the hair of others, but also runs her own business. As someone who hopes to one day be an entrepreneur, I had to know more.

Miller started doing hair in ninth grade when she would practice on herself and friends. When her aunt began encouraging her to do things on her own and begin saving money, there was no question how she would do so. As she grew in skill, she began receiving critiques from other stylists and even customers. Instead of letting these dismay her, she let them encourage her to get better. Miller does scalp braids, soft locs, retwist and plaits, but her favorite styles always have to do with locs.

Finally, among the theater and fashion cliques at our school you will find many great talents. On February 13, under the watchful eye of Demari Jackson, many of these talents were showcased in his production Melt With Me, a fashion editorial full of dance, poetry and styles created by the hands of Jackson himself.

Jackson has been developing Melt With Me since he first started the Vogue Visionaries, and this year it finally came to light. Inspired by the feeling of fake love, Jackson “wanted to do something genuine.”

It was during quarantine – when Jackson, like many of us, was searching for a way to connect with others – that he discovered fashion.

“Fashion helped me connect with others by helping people feel valuable. When you look your best, you do your best.”

When Jackson first approached me about Melt With Me, it was to ask me to write for the show. I immediately accepted, of course, not only because of the opportunity to showcase my work, but also for the chance to see some of the unconventional talents that GC has to offer.

Melt With Me covered a range of topics from learning to love yourself to the types of love that are accepted in society. Though these might seem like heavy topics for a fashion editorial, they did not contrast with the overall visual aesthetic, which was masterfully done. All in all, Jackson put on a great production that I hope will be replicated in the years to come.

As I continue in my next few years at GC, I hope to discover more of the amazing talents that I know are just out there just waiting to be found.