Senior Jeremy Painter and laurie Mitchell, Painter's high school drama teacher, smile for the cameras Sept. 8 following a show choir perlormance at Mars Hill Bible School in Flor· ence,Ala. "[This picture] really sums up the experience and friendship [between Laurie and I]," Painter said. -Courtesy of Jeremy Painter Tim Senior takes semester off, teaches at alma mater When senior Jeremy Painter registered for dasses during the spring of2006, he did not know the adventure that awaited him in the fall - the opportunity to help his high school drama teacher and best friend, make a hundred new friends and still graduate May, 12, 2007. Painter, a theater major and missions minor, was preparing to take classes for two more semesters. However, when he found out the woman who had inspired him to be involved with drama had been diagnosed with ovatian cancer, he could nO[ help bur feel like he needed to stay home in Florence, Ala. , and take over the ------ high school drama department while she went ~~§§ to rreatmems. : , "[Laurie Mitchell] was my drama teacher in high school , [she] got me involved in the arts; we're best friends," Painter said. "She's like a second mother to me." Painter, who graduated from the Mars Hill Bible School in May 2002, had always been involved with the drama programs and was asked by school officials to take over for Mitchell during her leave. -'-".L6 people "I had plans," Painter said. "I was just going to be a pan·time scudenr in the fall and a part-time student in the spring. I'm a missions minor, and I had to have Living World Religions to graduate. [That class) was the only thing holding me back from staying at home." It was while he was making contacts between Harding and Mars HiIl'that Painter received the news that changed everything. "I had called C indee Stockstill; she produces the musical and Spring Sing," Painter said. "I told her that I wasn't going to be able to be there for Homecoming, and while she was on the phone, she let me talk to Dan, her husband." Painter spoke with Daniel Stockstill, associate professor and assistant dean of Bible, and learned Living World Religions would be offered in the spring, fo r the first time ever. "I had looked at taking an independent study, 1looked at taking Living World Religions through a small Christian university in my hometown," Painter said. "But when Dan told me that, I was just excited and thought: This was meant to be. I felt like God had really kicked down a door to allow me to stay at home." At Mars Hill, Painter taught speech and drama to the high school students and directed show choir and the annual sen ior play. "It was a blessing," Painter said. "I gained a hundred new friends." Painter also took off (he spring semester of his junior year to work at Disney World in Orlando, Fla. T here, he performed as a character in parades and shows. He said he was grateful for th e experiences these semesters off allowed him. After graduation. Pai nter planned to go to China to teach English. Eventually he said he saw himselfending up in a teaching position, bur in me meantime, Painter had many more things he wished to experience before settling down . " I even tuall y th ink I'll fond myself in the classroom," Painter said. "Jhave a lor ofambitions, a lot of things that I want to do. I want to be a voice of a Disney character; 1would eventually like to work on Sesame Sneet believe it or not. Just do weird and bizarre stuff, travel the world. Do stuffwhile I am young and single, and then when I'm married, I might teach - senle down and teach." -Rosa Colon
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