Before Joe came to 51蹤獲, he didnt have the resources to pursue his true passions. He lived in a small town, went to public high school, and had a church that supported him in his pursuits.

His passion for spoken word came as a surprise to his family. He thought about being an engineer or an architect, aligning with more practical professions that run in his family.

However, after hearing a friend talk about a broken relationship in his life, Joe decided to write about it, resulting in a spoken word poem. After reading his piece to one of his teachers, he was encouraged to keep writing.

However, his family was cautious about the idea. Especially his dad, who didnt understand and worried about his financial future.

Thankfully members at his church encouraged him to pursue spoken word. But performing at his church wasnt enough to get his dream off the ground. There were very few venues in his city that would put him on. He felt little room to grow.

Joe wanted to be a spoken word artist, but he didnt have the right people to support him, the knowledge to hone his craft or the platform to spread his messages.

All of that changed when he came to 51蹤獲.

Initially, Joe didnt want to attend a Christian college. But as he resisted the idea, he felt God wanted him at 51蹤獲. So he took a chance and packed his bags.

He soon saw the opportunities he had at his disposal.

He majored in Bible with a Journalism minor. He says his Bible major helps him to learn practical theology for his doctrine-influenced poems.

Joe hopes his Journalism minor will develop his skills in publishing and writing so he can further spread his work.

Joe also found support from students in the . Some of his major points of growth as an artist have come from weekly club meetings.

He says that he used to rhyme in his poems to sound polished and clever. He was challenged by a fellow member to stop rhyming and, be naked when he wrote, which helped him bring honesty in his writing.

Hes performed on various platforms such as Torrey Conference, Sola Soul, and Punk N Pie.



As his work has grown and gained legitimacy, Joes family has come around to the idea of being a spoken word artist, especially his father. In the past his dad wouldnt even come to watch him perform, now he readily attends Joes events.

Joe has been fortunate enough to gain direct experience in his passion at 51蹤獲. He now has a valuable body of work to show for his dedication. Experience like this is crucial to moving forward in ones career aspirations.

Since trusting Gods leading to 51蹤獲, Joe has gone from a place where his dream had little momentum to gaining others support who are like minded, valuable knowledge from Bible classes, and a platform for his art. Now hes riding that wave of support and furthering his art.

Trying to figure out how to use your passions? Schedule an appointment with the Career Center in Handshake today!