Dressed in a fashionable red plaid shirt, light-washed jeans, and dark tinted Aviators, she walks into the room almost 30 minutes late. Many would judge her exterior as guarded and aloof. Removing her shades, she pushed her bangs aside reveling the carefully applied mascara and eyeliner curled into an effortless wing proving she wasn't in a rush this morning like her fellow classmates. Armed with her Macbook and iPhone, it is easy to feel the aura of confidence that surrounds her, but her common nervousness about what the future holds for her is evident.
Charleston, South Carolina native, Kris Kaylin Bennett, has made a lasting impression in her collegiate years that will be coming to an end this May. For her, the dream of going to college began in the 6th grade. She attended one of the best magnet schools in the area, Charleston County School of the Arts, majoring in dance. While there she met her long time friend and partner, Kedrick Pasley. Before they knew it, the two were entering into their senior year and picking which colleges they wanted to go to. The duos top choice became South Carolina State University in hopes of majoring in dance again.
Her dance dreams may appear to be far behind her, but a true dancer never takes off her slippers until after the curtains have closed. For Kris Bennett, the show has just begun.
You can listen to our entire interview below:
Charleston, South Carolina native, Kris Kaylin Bennett, has made a lasting impression in her collegiate years that will be coming to an end this May. For her, the dream of going to college began in the 6th grade. She attended one of the best magnet schools in the area, Charleston County School of the Arts, majoring in dance. While there she met her long time friend and partner, Kedrick Pasley. Before they knew it, the two were entering into their senior year and picking which colleges they wanted to go to. The duos top choice became South Carolina State University in hopes of majoring in dance again.
"Originally, when I came to South Carolina State, they had dance as a major listed on the website. So I was going to double major with dance and business. And then when I got here they were like, "Oh, the dance program doesn't exist anymore." So it was like OK..." Bennett says, "But compared to other schools they offered me the most money."
With her dance dream slowly coming to a halt, she looked for other avenues she could take. While South Carolina State has over a hundred different organizations on campus for students to join, only two are dance-related. She weighed her options, but never really found her fit because of her modern/contemporary dance background so she decided to put her other skills to the test. Switching majors to Broadcast Communications would prove to be one of the best decisions she made.
Bennett made her push to center stage after releasing her first video, SC State Happy, on March 31, 2014. SC State University found itself on the front end of the worst media bashing the school has faced since 2007 over financial troubles and in the midst of it all there was an incident on campus that left one student fatally wounded. After such a loss, Bennett wanted to show the community and enemies that the student body was still in good spirits and the Bulldog Pride would never die. The video made way for her other projects that not only made an impression on alumni, but to prospective students and other HBCUs around the country.
"Almost every project that I really liked and enjoyed, came from a dark place in my life which is really crazy. I hate being sad and feeling down so I would take whatever was going on and try to make it into something positive." she says.
With Bulldog Bite and her newest addition The Basement (an idea put together by soon to be alumni Breylon Jones) under her belt and being a part of other organizations like Campus Activities Board and D.O.L.L.S. (Dedicated, Outstanding, Ladies Living Strong), many ask what is next for the graduating senior. She has hopes to leave the state of South Carolina to obtain a job related to her major in either television or radio and eventually venture into owning her own dance studio. While dance was a big part in her life, it continues to be one her passions.
Although she is unsure about exactly what she wants to do with her projects, she is still on the fence about passing them onto another student. Bennett's personal strides, as well as others, have made it possible for the Communications department to gain much needed exposure. She credits the fuel to her motivation through her time at SC State to "her big brothers", notable alumni of the University in their own right, Akeem Brown, Na'Keem Jenkins, and Jabari Gourdon.
Her dance dreams may appear to be far behind her, but a true dancer never takes off her slippers until after the curtains have closed. For Kris Bennett, the show has just begun.
You can listen to our entire interview below:
