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Drew Gaither

1,385

Bold Points

Bio

My name is Drew Michael Gaither. I was born on an air force base in Biloxi, Mississippi and spent most of my life growing up in a small, semi-rural county in Georgia called Paulding. It was difficult for me growing up where I did, as I identify am non-binary and gay. I have struggled to be fully loved and accepted by my community, and even by members of my own family. I've often felt like an outsider in most social circles, and I have had to battle between keeping my faith and spirituality alive while staying true to who I am. In school I struggled with my mental health (at the time I was suffering from undiagnosed bipolar II and OCD). I dived my nose into books, music, arts, internet videos and articles, and movies to find relief. I found comfort in learning about other people’s stories and experiences from all around the world, and it made me feel less alone and like I was not the only one who went through difficult times. I am currently a political science major at Georgia State University. My passion in life is to start a revolution, just like Dr. King did in the 50s and 60s throughout Georgia and the rest of the South. I want to fight in the name of social, political, and economic justice for the LGBTQ+, indigenous peoples, the Latinx community, the African American community, the homeless, the disabled, veterans, the working class, and any other groups that is still facing oppression or feels like an outsider in the year 2021. For many, the American Dream remains a dream, and it has yet to become an American Reality. I want to help fix that!

Education

Georgia State University

Bachelor's degree program
2020 - 2024
  • Majors:
    • Political Science and Government
  • Minors:
    • Foreign Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Other

Miscellaneous

  • Desired degree level:

    Master's degree program

  • Graduate schools of interest:

  • Transfer schools of interest:

  • Majors of interest:

  • Not planning to go to medical school

    • Career

    • Dream career field:

      Political Organization

    • Dream career goals:

      Activist

    • Crew Member

      Culver's
      2021 – Present4 years

    • Delivery Driver

      Atami Steak & Sushi
      2020 – 20211 year

    • Courtesy Clerk

      Kroger
      2019 – 20201 year

    • Stage Manager/Set Designer

      East Paulding Theatre Company
      2019 – 20201 year

    Arts

    • East Paulding Theatre Company

      Theatre
      2018 – 2020

    Future Interests

    Advocacy

    Politics

    Volunteering

    Philanthropy

    Entrepreneurship

    Hobbies Matter
    In 2019 I picked up a new hobby that will follow me for the rest of my life which started with a follow request on Instagram by a place in Dallas called "Bee Humble Yoga Studio." It came during a time in my life when I was actively battling my mental health, and I was seeking transformative experiences to propel me forward. Coming from a semi-rural town in the heart of the south, I knew very little about yoga, meditation and mindfulness, and more broadly Buddhist philosophy. So, one day I set out to go see what the studio was all about. Part of how yoga works is by activating your parasympathetic nervous system--the part of your body that is responsible for rest, digestion, energy conservation and slowing the heart rate. Yoga entails putting your body in a series of poses, or asanas, while simultaneously being mindful of your breath. There is a specific breathing technic called ujjayi (Sanskrit for "ocean breath") that pushes out the air from the bottom-most part of your lungs to aid in your asanas. The combination of poses and the breath is what activates that parasympathetic nervous system while at the same time down-regulating the sympathetic nervous system. My first time on the mat opened open a part of me that I didn't even know existed. Breathing into the postures and poses I realised I was stretching parts of my body I had never before paid attention to, and that I was actually carrying negative energy and trauma within my body. As my journey with yoga continued, I became more and more aware of my body and how to realise the emotions I was carrying in various parts of it. I started to see shifts in my diet style as I wanted to cultivate a healthy temple between the body and my yoga practice. I started to notice an improvement in my mood and my social life. My weight started to come down and I felt overall more healthy and fit. Last year I was diagnosed with OCD and bipolar after a series of very trying events. Yoga once again made a calling to me as a way to improve my mental alongside my medications. Practising it calms my anxiety and helps me swing out of bad mood swings. Incorporating yoga and meditation into my daily routine has been essential in helping me regulate between work, school, and my mental well being. Yoga is more than just a hobby to me; it's a way of life that will follow me for the rest of my time on Earth.
    Drew Gaither Student Profile | Bold.org