What Faith’s All About
Bluefield College senior Faith Pike is taking her God-given gifts to help better those around her.
Pike commutes to BC from Tazewell, Virginia, where she was born and raised. After completing two years at Southwest Virginia Community College, she transferred to BC beginning her journey here in the fall of 2018.
Coming to BC was a “pretty easy decision” for Pike considering she was already familiar with the campus due to her sister being an alumna and her friends already attending. But she said the campus community and family atmosphere is what really drew her to Bluefield.
Pike double majors in graphic communication and art and design. She originally just started with art, but her passion for graphic design heightened after taking a few classes at the college.
“My passion for art and design itself started at a super young age and kind of just grew from there,” said Pike. “Art was always my thing in school, and it was what I gravitated toward.”
She mentioned how design is way more than just a hobby for her. She loves being able to help others find their vision and their brand identity, especially within their small business.
“Being able to use my skills and talents to further other people is a really big why for me,” she said.
Every Friday at 10 a.m. in East River Hall’s lobby, Pike leads a Bluefield College women’s Bible study titled “Flourish.” She wrote and designed “Flourish” because she wanted to “create a resource for girls that could better help them get a grasp on their identity in Christ, to flourish in their relationships, and most importantly in their relationship with God.” Her hope for the study overall is that everyone would grow and learn together as a whole.
Pike has also created her own small business called Lauren Faith Design. Lauren Faith Design is a small business where she gets commissioned to create designs and art in order to help others with their specific wants and needs.
“I have the desire to have a space where I have tools and resources for other people whether it be branding, logo design, or just my artwork in general,” said Pike. “I know I’m just starting out with it and it’s really small, but I have learned not to despise the day of small beginnings.”
Pike said she also really enjoys helping others with their weddings. In fact, over the summer she did a big commission for a wedding where she used her talents to make someone else’s big day even more special. She mentioned how she has designed invitations for three different weddings. She uses software like Adobe Illustrator for branding and logo designs, but uses hand lettering for invitations.
Some of Pike’s graphic designs have also been featured on the Bluefield College clocktower near the Dome Gymnasium.
“I have a current internship working in the Advancement (Office),” said Pike. “(I’m) basically doing stuff for the college as far as different projects, promoting different things on social media, making announcements for the clock tower, flyers, etc. I really enjoy working with them.”
Even though Pike admits her nature is to be a “perfectionist,” she said she is learning to lean into the process because life comes in stages.
“I’ve been learning through this past year and right now just to take it one step at a time.” She added that she is especially leaning into the process with her relationship with God.
“My relationship with God has grown in so many new ways over the past year and a half,” she said, “and it has been really beautiful to cultivate deeper trust with Him and my college experience. It has been a sweet season.”
Before graduating in May 2020, Pike hopes to take a missions trip with the college to Ecuador.
“I have always had a desire to go on a missions trip,” she said. “Whenever the school said they were taking the trip again (to Ecuador and now Spain also as an option) my heart was just tugging toward Ecuador because I also love kids. Just being able to go and spend time with them, pour into them, and see what Jesus is doing there would be really awesome.”
Walter Shroyer, professor and chair of the BC Art Department, said “Faith is an excellent student who not only works hard but is a very talented artist. She has a unique sensitivity when painting landscape.”
Pike is currently presenting her Senior Art Show, titled “Reminiscent,” at the Bea Paine Gallery in the Bluefield (WV) Arts and Crafts Center. The show, featuring a variety of Pike’s paintings, will be on display through November 8.
Pike’s advice to her fellow classmates and to the campus community is to “learn more about yourself and about God.”
“Just discovering those things,” she said, “and investing time in yourself and others is a biggie.”