“Hello Love!” Aaron Colston greets me as I walk in for our interview. I am immediately at ease to see my smiling friend but began to regret the decision to hold the interview in the bustling atmosphere of the OGB office, where it seems like every two minutes someone is trying to talk to Aaron.
Each person who enters the room during our interview lights up when they see him, and it quickly becomes apparent to me that Aaron is friends with absolutely everyone.
This freshman from Roanoke, VA is impossible not to love. There are three things everyone should definitely know about Aaron:
- He is the best friend everyone wishes they had.
- He is super-involved and way ambitious.
- And he absolutely loves his water bottle.
Best Friend Award
Both ambitious and absolutely hilarious, Aaron attracts a large range of friends.
“I would say I have a very diverse and dynamic group of friends,” says Aaron. “I like people who are comfortable with who they are and don’t really care about what other people think.”
Honest and to the point, he went on to explain that he enjoys learning about different people’s strengths and interests.
“I observe people’s mannerisms – is that weird?” Aaron laughs as he explains that he likes to discover what sets people apart from the crowd.
“I wouldn’t say I’m judgmental – I just like to create my own realities about people, but I write in pencil so it is always subject to change.”
Freshman Maya Brown said that Aaron is a great listener and will always give you advice or his opinion on anything.
“He’s the best person to cheer you up when you’re sad or upset. Leave it up to Aaron to do something funny or dance crazily just to make you smile,” says Maya.
Super Involved and Ambitious
Aaron chose to attend Wake Forest after a high school mentor enrolled in the University.
“I saw her first college pictures on Facebook (or maybe it was Myspace back then), and I knew Wake was the place for me,” says Aaron.
He entered college with an open mind and immediately got involved with many different groups. He is involved with the OGB, Student Union, Student Government, the Black Student Alliance and numerous other groups and committees.
Aaron says he loves to break the ice amongst different groups of people. He believes people don’t work well when they feel that they are being judged, so he tries to fix that negative feeling.
“Aaron is literally a part of everything at Wake,” says Maya. “He’s in a meeting for a committee or painting a desk for a needy child every other day.” While this may be an exaggeration, Aaron definitely has a busy agenda.
“I like to stay busy because it helps me structure my days, and it is really self-fulfilling to contribute to charities and organizations you are passionate about,” says Aaron.
While Aaron is accepting of everyone, he has a peculiar strategy when it comes to choosing classes.
“I choose teachers based on how cute they are, in all honesty,” laughs Aaron. “I feel that teachers that are well put together have a very structured and organized classroom setting, and really who doesn’t wanna look at a cute teacher?”
As if his Dolce & Gabbana glasses didn’t say it all, a good sense of style is imperative to Aaron.
And a Water Bottle?
In the middle of the interview, Aaron interrupts me to say, “Don’t you just love my water bottle? It was best 22 dollars I ever spent.” After I stop laughing, I ask him why his water bottle is so great.
He asserts that every Wake kid should purchase one of these 750 mL Camelbak water bottles that say Wake Forest in bold letters down the side, “to stay hydrated 24/7.”
Maya says Aaron once even had an Usher concert in their friend’s room: “He was singing every song and dancing with a Swiffer pole seductively. He can’t sing to save his life.”
Aaron isn’t only about laughs though. He dreams of attending law school and has big plans to become a future leader of our generation.
“I want to leave Wake a little bit better than when I came in,” muses Aaron. “I hope that I leave my own stamp that inspires and motivates others to make a difference at Wake, no matter how big or small.”
So next time you are in need of a good friend, a good laugh or even great style advice; call on Aaron Colston.
*Photography by Karleigh Ash.