Profile on Blair Epps: Tragedy Turned to Safety

By Caroline Kothari

Staff Writer

When Blair Epps was 10 years old, she was walking home from her bus stop to her grandma’s apartment, when a stranger took her hand and told her to get in his car.

Thankfully, she knew enough not to listen, to avoid being kidnapped. She ran away and called the police, who took her to a woman who worked for the FBI. In the end, the man was caught and sentenced to two years in prison, and Blair is safe and sound.  

When asked how she felt about this experience, the freshman replied, “I don’t feel like I’m so special, or like I'm an important person.”

She added: “I don’t need anyone to treat me like I always need supervision, or always need to be protected.”

“I am an independent young woman and I can handle myself. What happened that day was a test and I passed that test. That doesn't mean that I won't have any more tests like that, but that day proves that I am strong enough to handle myself. I’m afraid of that day, but I'm not spooked.

She added: “I am glad that I remembered to run away and not listen to him.”

Blair wants to become an actress when she grows up because she feels that acting comes naturally to her. She says acting is something that flows for her. Her desire to act started when she was little and she always wanted attention; she soon found that she can get attention through acting.

Blair also wants to be a writer when she is older because it lets her use her creativity. She says she loves to write poems and short stories. Blair spends a lot of time working on each piece to make sure it’s strong.

Blair, who has two sisters named Jamiri and Monique, has always had a strong interest in skydiving. "I want to skydive before I die because I always wanted to fly."  

Blair has a cat named Bell Bell and a dog named Jojo. Blair named her dog Jojo after a friend came up with the name. Blair’s sister named the other cat Tinkerbell, but when she went off to college, Blair renamed the cat Bell Bell.

Blair is a new student at Woodlynde, and the freshman says her favorite thing about Woodlynde is that the school meets her learning needs and the teachers help her one-on-one.

“I love Woodlynde School. I picked it because it suits my learning strategies. Everyone is very nice, pleasing, and we are all here for the same reason. I believe that I can shine in this school and be the best learner I can be.”