Tae kwon do class may seem like an unlikely place to meet a future spouse, but that’s exactly what happened with Jennifer and David Coulombe. Once they were married, the couple turned to swing dancing as an inexpensive date. Now, they teach a weekly swing dance class — Coul Swing — in Winston-Salem, and have since 1998.

T Poole is not your typical southern rap artist, emphasizing his lyrical style and party scene lyrics and distancing himself from crunk or trap music. He plans to leave his hometown of Winston-Salem soon to pursue his dreams “on a bigger stage,” most likely in Atlanta.

When she first took the stage in Boston to perform a slam poetry piece she had written, Lalenja Harrington was petrified. Yet her performance received an incredible response, and through the experience she found her voice. After years of performing a capella.

Weaver Academy student Tyler Hardin has a dream, and he’s well on his way to realizing it. As an 8th grader, he produced “Falcon Monthly with Tyler Hardin,” which was broadcast to students at Southeast Middle School and was aired several times daily on GCSTV2.

Shaunielle Foster, the CEO and Founder of Footsteps to Follow, was crowned Ms. Black North Carolina at the end of last month. Footsteps to Follow, which is based in the Triad area, aims to transform children in a way in which confidence strengthens their souls, lifts their spirits, encourages their inner beauty and promote fun.

Clemmons native Matt Weiser first picked up a guitar when he was eight and started playing music with friends when he hit his teens. After a bout as a solo singer/songwriter touring through North Carolina and Virginia, Weiser teamed up with brothers Brett and Christian Ryan to form GOryanGO.

Samantha Walls has a handful of different professional skills, and two of them are related to housing. As an administrative assistant with Allen Tate Realty in Winston-Salem and an independent interior designer, it isn’t surprising that Walls has been into housing for years and aspires to be a real estate agent.

Referring to Michael Duez’s beard as unique is an understatement. At a recent beard competition, judge and lead singer of Gwar Oserus Urungus compared it to a vortex.

Few professors are as involved in the broader community as Spoma Jovanovic, associate professor of communication studies at UNCG.

WFMY News 2’s Lauren Melvin loves telling stories. The 26-year-old Pennsylvania native grew up in a small town she says no one heard of until Sept. 11, 2001 when United Airlines Flight 93 crashed in a field near Shanksville. “It’s tough to describe that as my hometown, but it seems that’s truly how people recognize it,” she says.

The Cranford sisters — Katei, 27, and Kelly, 25 — have spent their lives in Greensboro and have seen the city change dramatically. The sisters are quick to compliment each other, with Kelly explaining Katei’s “encyclopedic knowledge” of the city and Katei referring to her younger sister as a “pizzamaker extraordinaire” at Mama Ginna’s in Summerfield.

It didn’t take long for the Fair and the Foul to reach its fundraising goal on Kickstarter. The local band, which plays folk music with rock and jazz influences, plays music by vocalist, guitarist and songwriter Jacqui Haggerty, who has been a musician since 7th grade.

Malecia Bynum didn’t major in anything related to music production and she graduated from NC A&T University less than two years ago, but she already has 50 copyrighted pieces of original work. As a songwriter and producer, Bynum records a range of musical genres from her own home studio.

After spending a year traveling through 20 different countries, Shaina Machlus wanted to be part of a strong community and to be a positive influence. Though she hadn’t considered cutting hair professionally, it was something she enjoyed since middle school, bartering haircuts through college and styling hair throughout her trip.

It’s been years since Crystal Bright seriously pursued her interest in theater, instead focusing on music and holistic health counseling. In addition to independently offering piano, voice and accordion lessons, she plays with Crystal Bright & the Silver Hands.

Some people dream of leaving a smaller city like Greensboro, but Sam Bridges is happy to call the Gate City home. Besides the community and potential he sees here, there’s the affordability. “I’m never paying $1,200 for a closet ever again,” he said.

Kristi Darr isn’t your average photographer — she spent years traveling internationally, frequently shooting weddings in the Caribbean, and was gone nearly three weeks a month.

Antwonett Aktins enjoys poetry, roller-skating and jazz, but she is passionate about child advocacy and community service. Her parents, who hail from Jamaica and Nebraska, met in Germany and later moved to Seattle, where Atkins was raised.

As far as Ryan Kasek is concerned, pets are part of the family. He’s always loved animals, and that’s why he created Doggy Butler a few months after graduating with a marketing degree.

For students like Tielle Douglas, this month marked the triumphant end to their college career. Douglas spent the spring semester interning at 102 JAMS and holding down a job while enrolled as a student, so she slowed down and decided to take an extra semester.