ALUMNI STORIES - COLBY STINEBAUGH

I have been interested in art since a young age. My grandfather and aunt were both self taught artists and seeing their work while growing up inspired me. Through high school I took every art class I could. This led to me pursuing a degree in visual arts from Union University. My four years at Union were instrumental to my life in more ways then I have time to expound on. However, there were two things I learned during my time there that I value above all else. One, to pursue God in every aspect of my life. Two, art can have profound impacts on the viewer and the creator. I originally planned on going the graphic design route but quickly found my passion in painting and educating. I graduated in 2012 with an endorsement to teach art K-12. After graduating I spent two years teaching high school in Jackson. To this day I still reflect on my time at Union and apply the skills and techniques I learned there. Today I have beautiful wife, Becky, and we have a wonderful two and a half year old, Waverly. I currently work in drug abuse prevention as a Prevention Educator at the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse (NCADA) in Saint Louis, Missouri. I have found a passion for this work and am able to apply the creative problem solving and sometimes even artistic skills I learned at Union. In my artistic pursuits I have been focusing mostly on woodworking. Creating is an indispensable part of my life now, so I am still making work on a regular basis.