By Dana Erickson
It can be difficult to find your own path and walk it. It’s hard to break out of everyone’s expectations of what you should be doing or who you should be. However, Briana Chisolm has the courage to not be shuffled into others expectations and make her own way.
Briana is from Colleton County, Cottageville specifically. She attended elementary school at Cottageville Elementary, went to Colleton County Middle School, and Colleton County High School. Her favorite subject was science with an emphasis on biology, and anatomy and physiology aspect. This interest carried over to her college career at Claflin University where she majored in sports management with a minor in business. Additionally, she was a three year walk-on for the Lady Panthers basketball team as a shooting guard. As an athlete, her knowledge about the body and how it works helped her at Claflin and beyond. After graduating from college, Chisolm came back home and began coaching basketball and softball on the varsity level at CCHS for two years.
She also began substitute teaching which opened a whole new world. Her favorite aspect about teaching is building a connection with the kids. Briana firmly believes that the kids can teach her just as much as she teaches them. Just because they are small, does not mean they have nothing to say, and if you are willing to listen they will impart their childlike wisdom. After all, they are experiencing life too, and Chisolm feels we all have something to teach one another.
Currently, Briana is exploring the workforce trying to find the field of work she wants to pursue. She is employing this strategy because she feels that so many people do things they are expected to do by everyone else and not take the time to figure out what they want as individuals. Going with the flow of life with God at the reins is what she is doing in the present. Chisolm comments she is “just working on myself” and that she is “here for the journey.”
Personally, she enjoys reading and being outside in nature, working out, and spending time with her family where she is the oldest of three girls. Her favorite genre of books is self-development books. She has not taken up hiking yet but sees herself picking that hobby up soon. Writing is also a passion for Briana, even though she struggled with the subject in school when she was younger. It is something she has wanted to do since she was young. She was published in September of 2023 with her book titled Uncaged Thoughts. The book encompasses her life experience; anger, love, inspiration, art, and healing. She cherishes the experience because she “learned a lot more about myself and what I’m capable of doing.” Even writing the book, Chisolm found herself getting a little mired down in others expectations wondering how others would feel about what she was writing. Ultimately, she told herself, “Bri, this is your story. The is what you went through, this is your experience, and no one can tell you about it. This is you. Your experience is going to help somebody else. So, let it out. This is your healing process. This is the only way you can move on throughout life is if you let it out, let it go, and help somebody else.”
Unsurprisingly, Chisolm has also taken up motivational speaking. She has been working with some sports teams here in Colleton County in several different schools and programs. She speaks to kids as much and as often as she possibly can. Briana has even traveled to Savannah to speak at an elementary and middle school.
She is still involved in sports and is part of the Hi Star Hoops program. This program brings basketball to the elementary schools in the area and has been met with a tremendous response from the kids. There are JV and Varsity teams in the elementary programs allowing more kids to play. The program also features cheerleading opportunities for the JV and Varsity teams as well. Coach Bri coaches the Cottageville team along with her younger sister as the assistant coach. And yes, Cottageville won the tournament this year under Coach Bri. Highstart Hoops is a different experience allowing for DJ’s playing music at the game and also provides the opportunity to give shout outs to the teams for encouragement and praise. Coach Bri, said the kids love it and there is plenty of interest from the kids, they just need the volunteer coaches for the teams. She encourages people to come out and see these kids and all the energy at the games. Coach got a little teary eyed remembering the experience and how much the kids enjoyed it and how much she enjoyed coaching them.
It is refreshing to meet and speak with someone like Briana Chisolm. She is driven and passionate and has accomplished so much already and looking forward to more. She is modest and acknowledges that God is in control. She is courageous enough to be still and listen and do what she truly wants to do and is right for her and not bow to others expectations of what she should or should not do. Colleton County can count itself fortunate to have a native daughter like Briana Chisolm.
