From Drama Student to Star
Morganton, NC—Now a student at the prestigious Columbia University, Western Piedmont Community College (WPCC) graduate Donnie Ray Banks trekked a long and winding road before finding his passion for acting. At the age of 17, Banks joined the Army National Guard, and switched to Active Duty Army about six months after 9/11. He was a motor transport operator in Iraq during his two tours of duty there, running convoys, transporting prisoners of war, and resupplying small operating bases with food and ammunition along with participating in humanitarian missions.
When he returned home after his service to our country, Banks was at loose ends. After several short-term, dead-end jobs and no clear purpose, he decided to continue his education. Banks started classes at WPCC in 2011. In a required speech class, he found he enjoyed public speaking and he had a gift in it, too. Feeling drawn to the stage, he paid a visit to Deborah Lonon, WPCC’s performing arts coordinator and campus theater director.
Banks took to the stage like a star to a spotlight. His very first role was Romeo in “11 Variations on Friar John’s Failure.” He went on to play a narrator in “The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon,” appeared in two award-winning 48-hour film projects, and acted in a commercial for the Burke County Health Department filmed by WJZY. When he was not in class or on stage, Banks was a work study student whose exemplary grades qualified him as a member of Phi Theta Kappa. In addition, he volunteered to help prepare taxes for Burke County residents in need of assistance, and was a member of the Natural Science Club and the Drama Club. He was recognized as a hard worker, a dependable and diligent student, and a respectful and courteous member of the WPCC student body.
“Donnie was a pleasure to direct,” said Lonon. “His instincts are strong, and he has a wonderful presence along with a razor sharp memory. He came in to the Drama department with absolutely no stage experience, but he is leaving it as a star.” Before receiving his Associate in Fine Arts degree in Drama with honors in May 2013, Banks was recruited and accepted for admission as a theatre arts major by Columbia University in New York City, an Ivy League research university and fourth most selective college in the US.
With hopes to complete his bachelor’s degree in 2016, Donnie aspires to work in the film industry. “I’d love to write, produce, act, and direct,” he said. “I’ll hold the microphone if they let me!” The budding professional credits WPCC in the journey to his dream. “Western Piedmont was the catalyst and prepared me to enter into a great four-year university. Through amazing instructors, I found encouragement and people who believed in me.”
WPCC’s Associate in Fine Arts (AFA)-Drama is a two-year program that prepares students for transfer to four-year institutions. The AFA-Drama degree introduces students to the art, craft, and business of theatre through a study of dramatic literature, stage history, and elements of play production. For more information on the program, contact Deborah Lonon at 828-448-3519 or dlonon@wpcc.edu.
To apply for curriculum classes, visit wpcc.edu and select Apply Now!
Western Piedmont Community College is situated in the picturesque rolling foothills of Morganton, North Carolina and has served the citizens of Burke County since 1964. Each year, more than 10,700 students pursue personal enrichment, new skills for a job or career, high school diplomas, college degrees, and transfer pathways. Apply online at wpcc.edu or visit the Western Piedmont Campus to apply in person.