Andrea Kerbuski: Shaping Her Own Path with Tenacity & Talent

With a friendly but reserved demeanor and her face set in a gently serious expression, this month’s cover woman seems mellow and down to earth. But the wild, springy blond curls that playfully cascade down her back and her bold, trendy style give her away — this is a creative storm full of focused energy. From her small-town childhood in rural Michigan to her Motorwheel loft in downtown Lansing, 24-year-old Andrea Kerbuski is moving up.

Rural roots

Kerbuski’s roots trace a few hours northwest to Ravenna, MI, the small rural town that she spent her childhood in with her brother, half-brother and two step sisters.

“Ravenna is a small, rural town close to Muskegon. I grew up on a hobby farm showing horses. We had goats, rabbits, horses, dogs and cats. It was a safe area to grow up and everyone knew everyone,” said Kerbuski.

One benefit of this close-knit community was the dedication of her teachers, many of whom became her mentors. Kerbuski loved the interconnectedness of the Ravenna community.

But there’s a down side to living in a rural town, too.

“I didn’t do much traveling, but when I did go on school-related trips I realized how much of a bubble I lived in,” Kerbuski said. “There wasn’t much diversity in our town in terms of race, ethnicity, religion … I like a faster paced lifestyle and living where the action is.”

Broadening horizons

Kerbuski found that action in East Lansing, though it was hardly what she anticipated when she first stepped foot on Michigan State University’s (MSU) campus for college. Not expecting to find anything to keep her in the area, Kerbuski well expected to get out of the city as fast as she could get the diploma in her hands. Good thing for Lansing she took a moment to look around first.

“My viewpoint slowly shifted … to ‘oh, so I like this place. I have a ton of friends, things to do, places to go and really good jobs that I love.’ I don’t know where I’ll end up in the future, but right now Lansing exceeds my needs, and I’m beyond happy with where I’m at,” Kerbuski said.

While at MSU, Kerbuski studied agricultural and natural resources communications — in large part because it would give her a faculty that would understand her preexisting commitment to The National FFA Organization (FFA originally stood for “Future Farmers of America”), an organization dedicated to developing students’ potential through agricultural education.

Kerbuski joined FFA as a high school freshman as a way to develop her public speaking skills.

“My goal was to become a better public speaker and use FFA as an opportunity to push myself outside of my comfort zone. I wanted to run for sophomore class president and knew I could do speaking competitions in FFA to help prepare me. I ended up absolutely loving FFA,” Kerbuski said.

She ran to be a state officer for FFA her freshman year in college and stuck with it throughout her education. Her speaking engagements took her all over the state to present on a wide variety of topics.

After graduating in 2008, Kerbuski took a marketing position with Michigan Works! and returned to MSU to pursue a masters in journalism. She hopes this will strengthen her as a marketing and public relations professional by broadening her skills and perspective while preparing her to take on a leadership role in this field.

Squeezing out creative juice

Kerbuski got her first taste of journalism when a requirement for her undergraduate program landed her in a photojournalism class.

One of her early assignments for the class was to document a person’s life. Many others in the class followed a parent or another readily available person, but Kerbuski’s innate drive to push beyond the easy option took over.

“That was too easy. I wanted to follow someone fascinating … so I followed a burlesque dancer,” Kerbuski explained. “Normally, it would have been outside of my comfort zone, but the camera gave me an excuse.”

Something clicked, and Kerbuski hasn’t let go of her camera since. These days, she keeps up with her hobby as a wedding photographer for Jason Aten Photography.

This drive and diligence has kept Kerbuski a step ahead and thinking creatively in other areas, too. Following her passion for fashion, Kerbuski started her blog, blonde bedhead (http://blonde-bedhead.blogspot.com), in January to share her insights in trends and fashion’s biggest names, as well as her favorite finds and up-and-comer designer discoveries.

“I’m an introverted person, so it’s easier for me to put something cool together to wear and make a good first impression through that,” Kerbuski said.

But when the great creativity involved in her many endeavors is brought up, Kerbuski surprisingly insists she’s “not creative.”

“I’m constantly working on my craft.” Kerbuski said. “[But] I’ve never considered myself an idea person”

Instead, Kerbuski credits her diligence for her ongoing growth in her passions. Even in her creative endeavors, Kerbuski’s type-A tendencies keep her work systematic and in good order.

“I’m very different from my friends who do the things that I do,” Kerbuski said. “When I run a shoot, I’m very organized … I set deadlines for myself.” For example, she’s committed herself to updating blonde bedhead three to four times each week, no matter what.

Staying connected

While juggling school, work, her blog and photography, Kerbuski also managed to take on an extracurricular activity: roller derby.

“I get very competitive and I love contact sports. I can’t run, do yoga or play tennis. None of that interests me. Dressing up, speed skating and learning how to check girls is much more fun,” Kerbuski said.

Another thing Kerbuski loves about the Vixens is the team’s commitment to its community. In addition to their three practices each week, the teammates frequently come together to volunteer at community events, such as TEDxLansing and the Board of Water and Light Chili Cook-off. She is enthusiastic about the Vixen’s service efforts and has taken on a few on her own as well, such as assisting with the organization of the biyearly Ignite Lansing event.

Despite finding herself more comfortable in a city center than a rural town, Kerbuski’s kept her hometown community values close to her heart. She’s not sure yet what she’s looking for once she leaves MSU with her masters, though someday she dreams of opening her own photography studio. Whatever comes next for Kerbuski, one thing is certain: with her head in the clouds and her feet firmly grounded, she’s bound to be an unstoppable force.

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