Arielle Wilburn stands up and speaks out at an open mic night hosted by APU’s LA term this past October. Courtesy Emma Christler
A fantastic day consists of no class, four one-on-one conversations and a whole lot of coffee. At least for senior psychology major Arielle Wilburn, who believes that a day building such community is more valuable and worth her time than almost anything else.
Wilburn said she knew from the moment she set foot on APU’s campus that this school was unique and would soon become home to the next chapter of her life. Little did she know, one day she would earn the admiration of both students and staff for her leadership, artistic talent and passionate nature.
“She is just honest and authentic,” Campus Pastor Khristi Adams said. “I don’t think she comes off or portrays herself to be perfect in any way, and I think that’s why she stands out.”
Although Wilburn is known around campus as a spoken-word artist, it wasn’t until her sophomore year that performing poetry became a passion of hers. Her first performance at APU was at a multiethnic barbecue, and according to Wilburn, after that, she started appearing more and more.
“Just in terms of my own relationship with Christ, it has grown and has come from a very deep place because performing on that stage, sometimes, is the most spiritual experience you will encounter,” Wilburn said. “God knows he needs to meet you there to deliver something like that.”
Wilburn mostly performs original works and said composing poetry is an emotional process.
“Because the writing process is so intimate, I think the performance aspect is so nerve-racking,” Wilburn said. “You are literally on stage and you are like, ‘Here’s my heart. Here are the very bare aspects of me and I’m giving it to you. Then I’m going to walk off stage and I don’t know what you are going to do with it.'”
While APU does not currently have an active slam team, Wilburn is serving as the president of the Poetry Club.
After a coffeehouse performance in 2012, Wilburn was introduced to Kesha Shantrell, the music coordinator of chapel programs. Shantrell then bridged a connection between Wilburn and the Chapel Programs Office.
“Most of my time at APU, I was the one in need of the guidance,” said Shantrell, who is now Wilburn’s mentor. “God has turned my life full circle and I do think that Arielle was a huge part of that. She saw something or someone in me that I had no idea was possible.”
Wilburn has been seen periodically in the campus passage sermon series videos as she performed the work of Campus Pastor Jason Le Shana.
Dec. 4, Wilburn was featured at the annual Student Speaks chapel. Shantrell described Wilburn’s message as “amazing” as she sat in the front row and wept.
“I was amazed how she mastered her delivery,” Adams said. “I was amazed at her command of the audience. I was amazed of how transparent she was with the audience, which is rare with even national speakers.”
Currently, Wilburn is in the process of co-publishing a book with senior English major Scott Jacob. Their book, “Vagabonds and Zealots,” is a compilation of original poems they hope will be published within the next few months. In the meantime, Wilburn will be performing at various open-mic nights and a May women’s conference. Wilburn also hopes to one day publish her own book for pastors’ kids.
“I honestly think that she is more passionate about others than she is about her own talent,” Adams said. “That, I think, is rare.”
In addition to her poetic passions, Wilburn has also been in residence life as a resident adviser for two years. She was an RA in Adams Hall last year and now serves in the Shire’s B court.
“She’s been just an incredible mentor and person to go to,” said sophomore music major Hailey Gerken, a two-year resident of Wilburn. “She’s someone I can easily talk to about anything and not feel ashamed about it. She also speaks truth in my life and tells me things that I don’t usually hear about myself.”
Wilburn said APU has both a rare and sacred community of people.
“Community for me has looked like a lot of different things,” Wilburn said. “Community looks like coffee and conversation. Community looks like way too many people in a mod. Community looks like a hall full of women who are running around in their pajamas.”
Wilburn wants to pursue a career as a resident director or work in a college development office.
“She has not passively sat on the sidelines while her college years happened in front of her. Rather, she stepped forward and participated fully in this community through her poetry, speaking in chapel, diligence in academics and leadership in positions such as being an RA,” said Adam Higginbotham, resident director of Shire West.
Wilburn intends to graduate with a general psychology degree in July and is currently applying to graduate programs at APU and Fuller Theological Seminary.
“I think the biggest takeaway from APU is not going to be my diploma,” Wilburn said. “It is not going to be how many classes I took or necessarily what classes I took. It’s going to be the people that I am going to leave in relationship with.”