Bolden Beautiful

With her energetic “Hey’s!” and angelic smile, Joey Bolden is, to many, a vital member of the community. You might see Joey belting her heart out in the church as co-head of Gospel Choir, or stepping her way through complicated routines on stage with the all-female step group, Precision. You might also see her leading a discussion as the president of ALES or as a dedicated Student Listener and proctor in her dorm, Dunbar Hall. An active member of the Exeter community, Joey strives to always be a great friend, a determined student and an inspiration to many.As a four year senior, Bolden has built her experience through her strict work ethic. “I’ll come back to the dorm, start my homework at 8:30 and get everything done and go straight to 10:30 with no breaks unless it’s a little dance break because working for so long can get tiring,” Bolden said. Through her diligence and hard work, Bolden has become both a committed student and an inspirational classmate. Reverend Thompson, added, “Joey is a diligent person. Therefore, she is not afraid of responsibility. She communicates an air of competence and reliability.”Bolden is also a student many PEA students wants to be close with. “Joey is an amazing friend. She is super supportive even if its just that you need a hug, an advice; she’s always there. She gives so much of herself in everything she does,” senior Deresha Hayles said.This support and encouragement is something that senior Maya Robinson echoed. “Joey has been a great person to depend on, go to for a pep talk, and dominate the dance floor on Saturday nights with for the past three years. I’ve seen her mature from a smaller preteen to the young woman we see today. She’s definitely been an integral face that shaped my Exeter career and one of my closest friends, period.”As a dorm proctor and student listener, she is thought highly of by her fellow Dvnbar girls. Always approachable and willing to talk, Bolden is a busy presence in the dorm, trying to get to everyone who needs her loving support. “She listens to us whenever we have small or big problems, and she gives truly helpful advices that makes us feel so much better after talking to her,” lower Stella Woo said.Another facet of Bolden’s dedication to Exeter is her devotion to the clubs she takes part in. While at Exeter, Bolden has taken the initiative to go out of her comfort zone and try new things that she otherwise might not have. One club in particular, ALES, has seen Bolden grow in terms of her leadership skills. “Being president of ALES was something I would have never thought of doing during my prep year. It is very challenging at times because I have never been a president of anything; co-head means that there is someone else to help and lead with me,” Bolden said. “I always felt comfortable for ALES, and that’s what i want for others too feel as the president when they step into the room.”In terms of pushing her boundaries, senior Ashley Nicole noted that, “Joey is an inspiration person because she is a great leader, she has a positive attitude. She can easily be thrown out of her comfort zone, and yet be comfortable in that new comfort zone. She keeps her had clear and focused on the task ahead.”In addition to ALES, Bolden is a captain of Precision. “As a leader, Joey knows what she wants, she is very systematic, and that is definitely how she effectively gets things done. She can get people’s attention, she is great with keeping everyone focused on things. Especially in Precision, she is the stricter one, but that is so important on keeping us together and being precise,” Nicole, one of her co-captains, said.Hayles agreed, adding that, “As a leader, Joey makes sure that everyone is having fun while making sure things are getting done. She will steer the group in the right direction if they are getting distracted. If anyone’s not understanding anything, she will pull them aside and help them individually, whether it is a note at Gospel Choir, or a hard step at Precision.” In Precision, one of Bolden’s main goals is to bring the girls together and form a strong bond in teamwork. “Precision isn’t just pitter patter or slapping your feet it’s about what you say and the attitude you bring, which everyone in the group does. Communication is great, we’re on top of it, we really listen to each other.”In addition, in terms of her leadership, “Joey is very headstrong and firm in her beliefs. She balances a natural charisma with confidence, sternness with lightheartedness, and she is always devoted to her passions on campus. She merges these qualities to support her peers whether it’s on the track, in the church, in Club Room B, or on the Assembly stage with the other ladies of Precision,” senior Sacharja Cunningham said.While at Exeter, Boldens manifested her devotion to her faith into a singing group, Gospel Choir. “I really love the people I’m working with in Gospel Choir. We have it Mondays during the meetings and that just helps me to start the week off right because I am a devoted Christian and any type of interaction with God will get me in better spirit because Monday is a really hard day. The group members are just so nice; they listen very well to what I want them to do and they try new things with me.”“I see her leadership most during Gospel Choir,” upper Efe Aireweole, one of the members of Gospel Choir, said. ‘We fool around a lot and it's really fun. I think Joey creates a balanced environment in which we are able to have a lot of fun but still able to get work done. I think she's a big part of the reason why gospel choir has improved so much.”To round out her Exeter career, Bolden is also the co-captain of the girls’ track team. “Joey is just generally an awesome person to be around and that makes working with her as a teammate really great. she pushes me and the rest of the team to be the best that we can be and helps to create a truly cohesive team unit in a sport many assume to be individualistic,” senior Katie Huffman said. “Her energy and passion is contagious and I admire her spirit. She's always the person who's clapping and encouraging the rest of us through a hard workout, or getting us pumped when we think it's going to be too tough.”