Humans of Oglethorpe

Humans of Oglethorpe: Marc Collins ’23

Marc Collins ’23 is a junior theatre major.

“I was crowned Homecoming King my senior year of high school. It was during Breast Cancer Awareness Month, which was important to me because my sister had suffered from cancer, and she passed away.

Marc at Homecoming

Marc in his pink Homecoming suit

So, for my homecoming suit, I wore an all-pink suit. That’s when pink started being my color. I gravitate towards pink, and it really symbolizes my life, I feel like. Pink is such a bright color, and it’s kind of like yellow in that it’s very positive. I always try to be positive in my life, just because I know that it’s just a really great opportunity to be alive. I try not to take it for granted. I still have down days, but I try to always stay uplifted and surround myself with people who can help me, or I feel good around, or that I can even help. I’ve always enjoyed that. 

‘Stay Sensational’ is kind of my catchphrase. It actually came from a dentist’s appointment. I was at the dentist, and they were going inside my mouth, as per usual, and they were injecting me with this numbing thing so I wouldn’t be in pain as they were operating. And they told me, “You’ll start to feel some sensation in your gums.” and when they said that, I remember looking into the bright light hanging over my head and saying, “sensational”. It just came to my mind. And it’s a word I’d heard before, but I had never said it. It’s just a great word, because I feel that I’m such an over-the-top person—and when you say sensational, it throws people off for a second. Because they’re like, what does that really mean? And then when they grasp it, it’s something that’s really good, really brilliant, really beautiful. And I really try to spread that. And instead of telling people to be sensational, I rather tell them to stay sensational. Because I think everyone is really unique, and there’s something special in everyone. And I’m just affirming it for them. Stay sensational. Do what you’re already doing. 

Marc Collins

I literally thrive off of life from others. I’m a very heavy extrovert, and I know a lot of times, it can feel like it’s exaggerated, or very flamboyant; very overdone, over-the-top. But it’s really like—it’s weird, like energy’s really contagious to me, but that’s really a genuine part of me. One that I question a lot, actually, because people might ask me: ‘why are you happy all the time?’ And I didn’t realize it back then, but the answer is that I’m not always happy, but I get happy around people. It’s so amazing for me, and it feels really good. And it’s not that I can’t be serious, because I can, and I can be passionate. It’s not always childish joy. It’s a joy that can be contained. I’m the person to come to if you ever need an optimistic friend. But not a friend that’s just going to inflate your head with these things that are probably not realistic. More like a realistic, optimistic friend. That’s who I am. That’s what people can find in me.”

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