Stacy Dail: Ready to Take on the World
Nineteen-year-old Stacy Dail is already in her junior year at East Carolina University. She is currently enrolled in twenty-one credit hours, which most students would find completely daunting but Stacy is taking in stride. She simply looks at it as the most efficient way to figure out what she wants to major in.
Stacy transferred to ECU this year from N.C. State, where she was a business major. While she has put business on the back burner for now, she recognizes that it is still an option. This may be the result of her mother’s successful restaurant in Snow Hill. Stacy works there alongside her mother, serving country food to the local patrons.
While the business route may have seemed like the obvious answer for Stacy, she decided while she was in her freshman year that she wanted something different. She had always been a good writer and the encouragement of a high school journalism teacher kept repeating in the back of her mind. Her strong point of view and ability to express herself through writing were just too strong to ignore.
The articles she was reading in “Newsweek” and “Time” were a constant reminder of the path she could take. She made the decision to transfer and pursue a career in journalism. “If I’m passionate about what I’m writing about, then the words just come naturally to me, and it doesn’t seem like work,” Stacy says.
Stacy speaks confidently about what she wants to write. “Probably investigative news. I would love to be a traveling journalist and go to places to find a story that actually matters. I’m so tired of hearing about Paris Hilton going to jail or Lindsey Lohan getting another DUI when we have people being killed in Darfur or dying from malaria in Africa every single day. “I want to write something that opens up the eyes of all the people who watch E News as their news source; something that will change the world for the better.” This passion for opening the public’s eyes to real issues will undoubtedly make Stacy an exceptional journalist.
While Stacy is clearly a budding writer, this is not her only ambition. She is also considering a career in dentistry. “I am a teeth brushing freak, and becoming a dentist would really be a challenge for me. I like being challenged and knowing that I have to work hard to achieve something great.” If Stacy decides to become a dentist, she would still have time to write, she says, as most dentists don’t work a full forty-hour week.
Despite her 21-hour credit load and work in her mother’s restaurant, Stacy still manages to squeeze time in for family and friends in the small town of Snow Hill.17-year-old sister Tracy says they talk about every other day. The sisters look and sound alike but their personalities differ. “Stacy’s more outgoing than I am, I tend to be more introverted,” she says. Tracy has plenty of confidence in her big sister, saying “she’ll be a successful dentist one day.”
Stacy’s boyfriend, Steve, also sees success in Stacy’s future. When asked where he thinks Stacy will be in five years, he jokes “making money.” On a more serious note, Steve lists plenty of characteristics that will ensure his girlfriend’s future. “She’s great at communicating with people. She really knows how to talk to people.” But Steve seems to value Stacy’s sense of humor and good nature more than her business skills. “We have the same sense of humor. Our personalities are pretty different, though. She’s very strong-willed and I’m more relaxed, so we balance each other out.” With her 21-hour coarse load, Stacy is taking on more classes than the average student. Needless to say, she’s keeping busy these days. Her mother says “she really knows how to manage her time. Stacy is very focused and she has a great future ahead of her.” Working in her mother’s restaurant takes up some of her precious free time as well. In addition to family and friends, she squeezes in time for Stacy’s dog, Socrates. The next few years will be critical for Stacy, with a rigorous school schedule and lots of important decisions to make. Whether she ends up opening a dental practice or writing for “Time” magazine (or both), Stacy Dail is sure to leave a lasting impression on the world.
Sources:
- Tracy Dail (252)714-4441 tracydail@gcsedu.org Phone conversation 9-11-07
- Debra Dail (252)714-4437 no email address Phone conversation 9-19-07
- Steve Bentley (919)221-4077 slb0322@ecu.edu Phone conversation 9-11-07
Filed under: Classmate Profiles