Former Youth Spotlight: Stephanie Carver Blume

I caught up with Stephanie Carver recently when we both found ourselves at what we somewhat tongue-in-cheek referred to as "the Loser Table" at a charity raffle. 

Stephanie was probably in Junior High when she first came to FBC.  She was in my GA Class (Girls in Action) back in the day when the GAs and the RAs (boys class) were quite competitive and we would do things like ambush the boys during class and spray perfume all over them or bake them brownies loaded with tobasco sauce.  Stuff like that.  Stephanie grew up sandwiched between two brothers so she had stuff in her arsenal I could only dream of, she was a real asset to our GA class back in those days.


Today Stephanie spends her time as a nurse in the cardiac intensive care unit at Providence Hospital.  Her free time is divided up among the two men in her life -- Patrick and Oliver -- one, a husband, the other, a cat.  Of course, Cocky still holds a special place in her heart, too.

Stephanie is livin' large and enjoying life right now, making dreams come true.  When asked where she sees her life in five years, Steph alludes to more education, but she doesn't exactly commit to it, "I'm still not sure what I want to be when I grow up.  I do plan on going back to school, but I have no clue for what yet.... and I'm OK with that for right now."  She's very happy with nursing and she enjoys traveling, reading, shopping, and.... well.... eating.  She sheepishly admits a freakish fascination with pineapples right now.  Kind of like Forrest Gump's Bubba and his shrimp fetish, she says all dreamy-like, "fresh pineapple, pineapple pizza, pineapple salsa, pineapple upsidedown cake, pineapple salad, pineapple fruit drinks....."

I asked Steph what she misses about Wagener, "My family and friends," she said.  "I love coming home to see and catch up with everyone.... and I've been trying to do that more often.  Which kind of ties in with the whole 'what have I learned since I left' question.  I've learned to appreciate and actually show that I appreciate the family and friends that I love so much."

Stephanie's still as bubbly and intoxicating as she always was, still has the same smile on her face and pep in her step.  "The thing that inspires me from day to day," she concluded, "is the thought that each day is a different day.  Even if I made mistakes yesterday, today I have a new chance to change or improve who I am or the way I do things."