Jacob Varney: From Engineering to Center Stage

I'm back. This week, I speak with my new friend, the actor, Jacob Varney. His choice for the meal was at bb.q Chicken, the Korean fried chicken place on campus.

First, let's start with how I know Jacob. He was one of the other students in the acting class that I have been taking for the last couple of months. Did you know I love acting? Did you know that I have always wanted to be an actor, but I've been too afraid to give it a go and commit to it? Of course, you didn't because I never talk about that. Isn't it odd that we sometimes hide some of the core things about ourselves? Maybe I'll explore that another day, but today it is about Jacob. He is also someone who has loved acting for a long time, but never felt that it was something that he should pursue.

Before we get too far though, the food was excellent. I got the honey garlic boneless chicken and Jacob got a spicier Korean wing dish with rice. Very crispy, and good flavor. Mine was not at all spicy but still had a good flavor. I was too afraid to try Jacob's because I was afraid of the spice. I am getting too old. The one thing that I learned was order the small. When I ordered, the guy asked if I wanted a small, medium or large portion. I figured the small would just be a kid’s size so went with the medium. Mistake. It was way too much (16 strips of chicken). There will be leftovers.

The other thing I learned was how great campus is during the summer. No one was around. Easy parking (and free on weekends), and the place wasn't crowded. I need to get all my campus meals in before the students get back.

Back to Jacob. He seems to have had a very similar start to life as I did. He was considered the smart one in the family, and everyone expected him to go off to college and do great things. His family was working class; his father worked in a factory until he retired. Again, the same as my father. His mother and grandmother were very supportive and proud of all his achievements. I remember being that kid when I was growing up, but instead of getting kicked out of school a couple of times like I did, Jacob went on to get his degree in mathematics and continued to get a Masters. He started off school in the Engineering program at Purdue but later switched to math when he realized he wasn't really into the engineering side of things.

Now he works remotely for a Community College system in Indiana as an Instructional Designer (possibly have that title wrong). He is with a very nice and smart woman who is on campus pursuing his Doctorate. That sounds like more work than I would want to do. Luckily Jacob is good at taking care of the house and other chores to allow her to focus on her studies. So, it seems like the start of a nice life.

But then comes the question: why did he start taking the acting class? Turns out, much like me, Jacob really enjoyed acting when he was younger. He had a talent for it too. When I asked him why he hadn't pursued it, he said that it just didn't seem like a viable option. He was expected to go to college, get the good degree, and good job. Anything less than that would seem like he wasn't living up to his full potential. That one hit me hard. I have felt that same thing all my life. Never considered acting as a respectable solution.

But the acting bug hit him after giving a presentation for work where he really enjoyed being in front of the crowd and holding the audience. So, he looked online and found the same adult acting class that I found when I looked online. I'd say we both loved it. The play of it. The remembered enjoyment that we had when we were younger. So glad he made the decision to take the class. So glad I got to meet him.

What's next? He is thinking about taking another session of the acting classes and maybe looking into auditioning for some local shows or taking classes at Parkland. I don't expect him to be quitting his job anytime soon, but I am so happy that he has found that spark that inspires his creative side. He says he suffers from a bit of social anxiety sometime, but he has been great in class. It is a safe space for him. Is there anything better than having a safe space to do something that you love?

We talked about so much more, but I think I've written enough for tonight. Hopefully, I'll get another chance to have lunch, take a class or work with Jacob in the future. Thank you for your time, Jacob. Keep acting.