Gabbie Stratiotis is one of the most talented people I know – and she also happens to be my roommate. As we sat in our living room with Kids Baking Challenge playing in the background, we chatted about some of her favorite things. All the while, Gabbie wore a fluorescent green face mask with a towel securing her wet shower hair.
Name: Gabbie Stratiotis
Year: Sophomore
Hometown: Coast to Coast (4 different states)
Relationship Status: Single
Major: Nursing
Photo By: Lauren Alsina
Her Campus (HC): So Gabbie, where exactly would you say you’re from?
Gabbie Stratiotis (GS): That’s kind of a loaded question. My family bounced around a lot. I was born and raised in California, and when I was 14 we moved to Salt Lake City and also lived in Park City, Utah. My junior year of high school we moved to a little dude ranch in Polk County, Florida. Then senior year, we lived in Vero Beach and that’s where I graduated high school. But just recently, my mom and step-dad moved to Texas with my siblings. My biological dad still lives in California.
HC: Wow! I can’t even wrap my head around what that must have been like. Is there a specific reason you moved around so much?
GS: Not particularly, we just have an uncanny sense of adventure. My mom used to flip houses so that’s initially where our sense of adventure came from. Whenever we saw an opportunity, we just took it!
HC: Moving around a lot probably took a toll on your social life. Anything you want to share about that?
GS: It was definitely hard moving a lot, but the way I made all these new places my “home” was by jumping right in the middle of all the action. I had so many first weeks of school, and in that time I would try out for dance teams, cheer teams, anything I could get involved in. Luckily that helped me meet great friends that shared the same interests wherever I was.
HC: Do you still keep in touch with anyone from your high school in Vero Beach?
GS: I keep in touch with my core group of four girl friends. Two of them go to UF, one goes to Cornell and the other goes to Flagler. We have a successful friendship and I’m happy that we’ve kept in touch since we’ve been in college.
HC: Aw, that’s so sweet. Since you came to Florida State, what are some of the things you’ve been involved in?
GS: I lived in the nursing LLC freshman year and I was a hall ambassador so I was able to give tours of Wildwood, which is where I lived. I just recently rushed this past fall as a sophomore and I’m so honored to be a part of Chi Omega. Through the sorority I’m helping to revamp a bible study group that has kind of fizzled out over the years, and I was a first year dancer for Dance Marathon! Last spring I walked up to a guy who was performing a Happy Hour gig at Pots and before I knew it I was up there with him a couple times a month. I’m excited to do more shows too!
HC: Let’s talk about your musical interests. What instruments do you play?
GS: My sophomore year of high school I taught myself how to play guitar, and I would say I’m emotionally attached to my ukulele – her name’s Lulu. I also carry my tambourine in my car at all times because you never know when you’ll need to break out some percussion!
HC: That’s very true! What are some of the places that you’ve performed at around Tallahassee?
GS: My very first gig was with my good friend Tyler Denning. We played Happy Hour at Pots. We’ve done that together a few times. He usually plays the guitar and I’ll sing and play my tambourine. We do mostly covers of popular songs and the crowds seem to love it. I’ve also played with him at Brass Tap on Gaines St. and Side Bar as well. Unfortunately, I’ve been unable to play with him recently due to my busy schedule but I’m looking forward to picking it back up.
HC: That’s right – you’re a nursing major so that must be very time consuming. How do you balance it all?
GS: School definitely takes up a majority of my time. You can frequently find me studying at Stroz and sometimes I venture to off-campus coffee shops as well. Personally, I find that I excel when I have more things to manage. It keeps me on my toes and helps me take advantage of every second that I have and no time is wasted. Chi-O has definitely helped me learn to prioritize and balance the things that are important academically and socially.