If you were to glimpse over Corey Harris’s Instagram, you would see the tagline, “Art that makes you happy.” And it accurately reflects how she lives her life through art and athletics. Harris, an alumna to CNU women’s volleyball, led the team on the court in 2011 to the National Championship Finals. As an assistant coach, she led from the sidelines in 2014 to bring the team to the Elite Eight. With a decorated athletic resume, Cory continues to inspire others through her budding love for all things colorful.
Photo by Jesse Hutcheson
Name: Cory Harris
Year: Graduated 2013
Major: Communications
Hometown: Williamsburg, VA
Celebrity Crush: Chris Pine of “Star Trek“
What are you doing now that you graduated?
“I work full time as the assistant volleyball coach, and part-time painting instructor at Wine and Design.”
What made you decide to continue with volleyball after your playing career ended?
“It’s amazing to be in a place that I love with people that I love, and I was not ready to let go of that. I really really loved my time here and wanted to give back in the best way I knew how. Fortunately, my former coach, Lindsay Birch, was looking for an assistant coach.”
Where do you see yourself in five years?
“I see myself, oh gosh, I mean, eventually I’ll have to move on from CNU. I don’t know where that takes me, but this place has been a good foundation for anything that comes in the future.”
Are you satisfied with your college experience?
“I loved it here. I should have been a little more aware of what I was doing when I was here. I wish I would have taken advantage of more of the things that were offered to me.”
What advice would you give to CNU students?
“I think everybody says get involved, and that’s great and everybody does that here. But just in general, for every college student, just major in something you love. You don’t realize, you can get better at the thing that you love to do, just by practicing and taking classes.”
Would you say you pursued your love?
“Yes, because I learned to love communications, but I wish I would have really immersed myself in more art studies. Only after graduating did I explore ways of artistic expression and pursued a part-time painting job.
How did you find a way to hone your creative side?
“I spent a lot of time painting on canvases, on wood and making gifts for people, because it made me happy. In my spare time, I continued to make more and more things, and started posting it on social media. People started showing interest in what I was doing and that encouraged me to dedicate more time to it.”
To see more of Cory’s art, follow her Instagram at CORYHARRISART and see what’s up for grabs at her Etsy shop!