By Kieonya Hudson
CCC Journalism Program
BLACKWOOD – Liv Finn is a freshman at Camden County College, while simultaneously being a senior at Camden County Technical School.
College life
Liv, 17, is majoring in social work. Her choice of major is in hopes to become a licensed clinical social worker. Liv says she hopes to become “a trauma therapist, specifically.”
Liv exclaims about how positive her experience at Camden County College has been so far. It’s led her to new experiences, taught by some great professors, and meeting new people. She says, “My workload has been challenging but manageable. I’ve been able to work, volunteer, spend time with friends and family and do theater.”
High school career
Liv is also a senior in high school, doing the senior option dual enrollment through her high school. She attended Camden County Technical School in Gloucester for three years in the performing arts program. Similar to most high school experiences, she says it had its ups and downs. Despite this, she shows appreciation for the good memories that came with it. Liv says, “I met a lot of my current friends there, met some amazing teachers (and) learned a lot of important information.”
Liv will graduate from high school in June. After graduation, she plans to attend Rutgers University or Rowan University in the fall.
Theater as an extracurricular
Another big aspect of Liv’s life is theater. Since 6-years-old, she’s been doing musical theater shows. Theater is a mesh of singing, dancing and acting, which are all activities Liv enjoys. Theater has been a source of happiness, expression and teaching tools for her. Not only is it a hobby, but it has taught her life lessons she’ll keep forever. Liv sums up all the things theater has taught her. She says, “I’m great at speaking in public because of my confidence from doing theater and my ability to project my voice. It also heightened my strategic and critical thinking skills by being quick on your feet.”
She is preparing for her role as Catherine in Pippin. Show dates are May 8 to 10.
Work life
Liv works at a company called 96 Shades, a luxury sunglasses company. It has beachfront stores all over the country but it is based in New Jersey.
Currently in the off season, she works in managing online orders and packing for large events. Liv emphasizes how much she enjoys her job and her co-workers.
Family oriented
Liv is family oriented and her family plays a big part in her life. Liv says she is the oldest of seven children, two biological, four adopted and one in foster care. Over the last six years, Liv’s family has opened their home to more than 30 children. She expresses how difficult the foster care system can be, “No one tells you it pays well, because it doesn’t, no one tells you it will be easy, because it’s not, no one tells you it will be fun, because it isn’t, no one tells you of the heartbreak, because it will literally break you.”
Despite this, she’s still grateful for all the experiences she had meeting new people and inviting them into her family and views it all as worth it.