Here is the one that was written about me...
A Dancer: Jerica Garrick
“I was practically raised in a dance studio,” replied Jerica, in response to my request of her sharing a story explaining her intense passion for dance. Jerica Bree Garrick is from Salt Lake City, Utah, and was born the second of four. Jerica is the only girl in the middle of three brothers. Jerica’s whole family dances, and one of her brothers, she pointed out, is an amazing guitarist. Jerica was gracious enough to allow me the time to interview her and get to know her a bit better. Through a report of this exclusive interview, we will be able to get a better look into the bright life of this young Brigham Young University Student: Jerica Garrick.
Jerica loves to dance, and she is good at it. When asked what her favorite vacation has been growing up, she mentioned that her dancing skills once took her all the way to Florida for the National Championships. She concluded this to be one of her favorite vacations. I have got the feeling that Jerica really enjoys the warm weather while doing this interview because her favorite vacation is Florida and most memorable place she has been: Malibu. I also asked her where she sees herself in ten years and it happens to be in sunny California. Did I mention that her boyfriend lives there? Okay, maybe that also has something to do with it. Yes, Jerica is in a relationship.
Ambition, along with many other great characteristics, is one that seems to describe Jerica well. In addition to living in California, Jerica also sees her future self running her own practice, having her LCSW completed, raising children in a temple marriage, oh! And nice cars of course.
Jerica definitely displayed a sense of humor throughout our interview. “What is your dream car?” I asked.
“An expensive pretty one,” She replied with a big grin on her face.
Jerica also aspires to get a doctorate at some point in her life. Even from this short interview, it is very easy to see that Jerica has all the motivation and confidence necessary to make these goals happen.
While going to school full-time, Jerica manages to make time to participate in the activities she loves. When asked what she would be doing at certain times during the day, she answered that at 6:00 AM she would be getting ready for the day, at 10:00 AM she would be in class, at 2:00 PM she is working at the prison as a psychological technician, and at 8:00 pm she would be teaching dance. I asked what kind of dance she teaches: “all kinds” she responded. Jerica also finds time to participate in other hobbies for exercise including dance, yoga, swimming, running, and even kickboxing! Other interests of Jerica’s include spending time with friends and family, shopping, and watching movies. Chic-flicks including Ryan Gosling or Channing Tatum would be preferable to her, or better yet both of them. She also likes comedies, but her all-time favorite movie is Will Smith’s touching drama and true story, The Pursuit of Happiness. This movie has a special connection to her and reminds her of her dad.
Jerica truly admires her father and reported that he played in the NFL for a time. As for other sports, she dislikes golf and says that rugby “confuses and scares” her, along with many other Americans. It also makes her nervous because it is a dangerous sport that her little brother loves to play, but she still gladly supports him.
As far as cooking goes, she qualifies her liking to cook by stating, “I only like to cook if it’s for college boys because they are generally the least picky crowd. I mainly enjoy baking, but have never found real interest or skill in cooking.”
I asked Jerica if she would be willing to share a story or experience to help
me understand her passion for dance.
In reply Jerica said, “Yes for sure! Here is a story...I was raised by a single mom- a dancer. It was just her and I for most of my life. Because dance was her career and hobby, it quickly engulfed my life as well. I was practically raised in a dance studio. It quickly became my core and all that I knew. There was never a doubt that I would dance for the rest of my life... until Middle school. The doctor discovered that my spine was curved and had me wear a back brace. This affected my dancing in that I would tire very quickly and have intense back pain. After a few years, the doctor informed me that the curve was only getting worse and the dancing wasn't helping. Finally, my sophomore year of high school, he broke the bad news- I had to get surgery or be in a wheelchair for the rest of my life. I was devastated, but had no other choice. It was an extensive surgery and an even more intense recovery, but after a long year of rehab, I was allowed to start doing physical activities again. I talked to my doctor about dance- asking what my new limitations were. He suggested that I don't push it, but for me that wasn't an option. He then told me that at best, I could try to re-train and jump back on the horse, but that it wouldn’t last long. Although I knew it would be better if I didn't, I could not ignore my passion and innate love for dance. And so- I retrained my body and ended up competing with my dance team my senior year. Currently, I can only teach, but I proved to myself I could do it and allow dance to live on as an active part of my life. Yay! :)”
Since then, Jerica went on to dance in many competitions and broaden her spectrum of the discipline by taking and teaching numerous classes that took her all the way to Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Florida, and Washington D.C.
Getting into more serious matters, we dove into a few deeper questions.
“Jerica, who is someone you admire and why?”
“I would have to say Emma Smith, wife of the prophet Joseph Smith… because she stood by her man and her religion no matter what.”
“And what would you like to be remembered by?”
“I want to be remembered for my interpersonal relationships and the value and meaning that they hold. This is because I feel that they transcend any other purpose on earth.”
“Do you participate in any volunteer work?” I ask.
“Yes, I volunteer because I love people and want to fill needs. Because social work and psychology are my fields, volunteering is a very key aspect of life to me. I’ve volunteered at the Food and Care Coalition along with many other organizations. Service is very impacting and necessary to me.”
“Okay one last question; please give us one memorable sentence you would like to say to the world.”
“God lives.” Replies Jerica.
A strong belief in God is something very important in her life and everyday attitude. This belief is very evident when seeing her “never give up” will power, positive attitude, and service toward others.
It was a true pleasure to get a closer look into the life of this ambitious Brigham Young University Student, Jerica Garrick.
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