On this episode of the podcast, we spoke with Anah Sofia Merifield.

Anah Sofia is studying Theater at FSU with a Minor in psychology.

One of her greatest joys is talking to strangers. In some ways, it’s like a sport for her. It pushes her out of her comfort zone, and sometimes leads to unexpected friends. She also enjoys being more “real” on social media by posting her genuine thoughts and feelings.

We also talked about how Anah Sofia’s father is American, with more rigid, traditional values and her mother is Venezuelan with more of a loosey-goosey attitude. Despite their different influences and ideologies, Anah Sofia feels that her parents have always done the best they could to raise her.

Lastly, while Anah Sofia is studying theater, it wasn’t at the forefront of the conversation. Even though she loves it, theater felt like something she was expected to do when she came to college, as if it became the defining factor of her identity.

At the moment, she’s simply exploring other things that her heart wants to do like music or exercise. In nearly everything she does, Anah Sofia strives to constantly work on herself; by addressing her current shortcomings, she prevents future problems for herself and for others in the long run.

Stay open, stay active, and keep listening.

On this episode of the podcast, we spoke with Riley Walker.

Riley is earning his BS in Management and Organizational Leadership, which he hopes to merge with his love for music.

His father has been involved with music production since Riley was young, which sparked Riley’s deep love and curiosity for all things music-related. He loves the connection that music brings, feeling that a concert is one of the few places in which everyone is on the same frequency – literally.

Riley also talked about his college experience which has been full of unexpected lessons, the biggest one being the decision to move back home to save money and be closer to family – something he previously viewed as a worst-case scenario

When we asked him, Riley believed he could be doing more to bring hope into the world, and he plans on starting an organization focused on providing musical opportunities to disadvantaged people. Riley loves knowing that there are always people making a difference in the world. He says, “for every Elon Musk, there are 100 people changing the world for the better with no need for recognition.”

Stay open, stay active, and keep listening.

On this episode of the podcast, we spoke with Jessica Chunta.

Jessica is earning her BFA in Musical Theater from Florida State University.

Jessica loves musical theater, and is hoping to pursue a career in the field, with high hopes for Broadway. However, she doesn’t like to distill her identity down to that one thing as she is also into fitness and meditation.

We also explored her Christian faith, and how sometimes, people assume things about her because of her religion. When this happens, it feels like a double standard.

Ultimately, Jessica leads with love and feels that everyone at least wants happiness in their lives. It’s with that spirit that Jessica knows she can face whatever comes today, and that she’ll always have tomorrow.

Stay open, stay active, and keep listening.

On this episode of the podcast, we spoke with Nic Evans. Nic is earning his BFA in Acting from Florida State University.

Although he studies acting, Nic is especially interested in writing. He loves poetry and playwriting, having worked on over 10 original plays already.

Nic told us about his process behind writing. Early on, the way he wrote was trying to please other people, but it lacked honesty and connection for that reason. Nic decided to write about things that scared him as a way to be more honest, and it has only evolved from there.

We also learned about why Nic is agnostic, and how it bleeds into his writing. Existentialism is more and more appealing to him. He believes that doubt and faith exist together. Without doubt, faith wouldn’t be as powerful and vice versa.

Nic finds hope in passion and achieving something in a way that was unorthodox or surprising. Success comes from the hard work put into something you’re deeply passionate about.

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On this episode of the podcast, we spoke with Quinn Cote.

Quinn is earning his BFA in Acting from Florida State University. He has many interests ranging from performance, fitness, rock climbing, and modeling. All of them revolve around health and fitness in some way.

Originally an athlete in high school, Quinn’s foot was injured while on a trip to the Florida Keys. While he was recovering, Quinn auditioned for his school’s theater. Over time, it turned into his main focus as he became interested in studying characters.

Coming from a background in athletics, Quinn noticed his friends that played sports didn’t approve of theater, and the negative aspects of modern masculinity started to shed light.

Despite this rocky start, Quinn has found his place in theater and is immensely comfortable with who he is today. Fitness and acting go hand in hand, and Quinn believes anyone will become more confident and hopeful by simply moving their body.

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On this episode of the podcast, we spoke with Kiyrax Davis.

Kiyrax is earning her BA in both Theater and Psychology from Florida State University.

Kiyrax is know for her unique style, opting to wear costumes mostly every day. She didn’t celebrate Halloween as a kid, so she would wear costumes around the house for fun until it developed into her personal style.

Kiyrax is interested in both psychology and theater because they offer a look into the human mind. Kiyrax also enjoys pushing the limit with theater. Chaotic content is what she thrives on.

Despite her unique wardrobe and interest in pushing the limit in performance, Kiyrax doesn’t actually enjoy being the center of attention. In fact, Kiyrax finds hope in the simplest of things – knowing that there will be food on the table for her at the end of the day, and laughing with others.

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On this episode of the podcast, we spoke with Ahon Gooptu. 

Ahon is earning his MFA in Theater Performance Research from Florida State University. He was born and raised in Kolkata, West Bengal, India, and has been studying in the United States for the past few years. 

Ahon showed the differences between theater in the US and theater in India. Being in the US gives Ahon more opportunities to communicate his experiences to a broader audience.

Being part of the LGBTQ+ community, Ahon’s homosexuality wasn’t always accepted in India. However, Homosexuality was recently decriminalized there in 2018, and the culture has drastically changed for the better. 

Ahon hopes that one day, he can be someone that others go to when they feel lost. He wants to use his experiences to help others pursue their dreams in the future, and capture that “indescribable feeling”.

Stay open, stay active, and keep listening. 

You’re listening to The Only Constant, a podcast about active hope. On this episode of the podcast, we spoke with Elijah Rios.

Eliah is earning his BFA in Acting from Florida State University. Coming from a background in high school football, our conversation focused on some of the stigmas around men in performing arts, and how theater has helped Elijah become more vulnerable.

Elijah’s first year as an acting student was filled with intense emotional vulnerability. Often, acting exercises in class would cause him and his classmates to break down barriers together. People he had only just met were now seeing Elijah’s rawest emotions.

We also touched on Elijah’s Christian faith and how it has made him always strive to treat people right. He believes human decency is rare these days and contributes that lack of friendliness to our society’s addiction to phones and constantly comparing ourselves to others.

However, that cultural challenge only strengthens Elijah’s commitment to connecting with others emotionally. He sums it all up by saying “in the world, we only have each other.”

Stay open, stay active, and keep listening.

On this episode of the podcast, we spoke with Rouba Palmer.

Rouba is an MFA Directing Candidate at Florida State University. She teaches improv, directs theater at the university, and thrives on human interaction. Her love for theater has been lifelong, choosing to study theater at every school she has attended.

In fact, Rouba attended 12 different schools by the time she graduated high school. That’s because she has lived in Lebanon, France, England, Greece, Australia, and the United States. Her international perspective allows her to compare U.S. culture to other countries abroad.

Rouba notes that living in so many countries has sometimes made it difficult to put down roots. Despite this, Rouba finds hope in the belief that there is a plan and purpose for her life. While she might not always know what it is, asking the big questions in life helps her know who she really is.

Stay open, stay active, and keep listening.