DUBYUHNELL DAY
VIRGINIA KETTLES ’19 The Novelist, Tour Guide and Actress Takes a Bow
PHOTO BY KEVIN REMINGTON
BY ERICA TURMAN
1. STORYTELLER
2. ON STAGE
Kettles, who is majoring in strategic communications with a minor in creative writing, says, “I usually have multiple narratives going at once and learned to love writing at an early age. Giving a voice to marginalized people in particular is very important to me.” She is writing a novel, “The Habitat,” which “touches on teen drug use through a diverse set of characters.” She even took the bold step of contacting renowned author Tom Wolfe ’51. “He replied with some writing advice about how society influences characters,” said Kettles. “I’ve taken that in mind as I’ve continued drafting my novel.”
Kettles has acted in three W&L productions: “Love’s Labour’s Lost” (Sir Nathaniel), “Legally Blonde: The Musical” (Chutney), and “Sense and Sensibility” (Fanny and Lucy). (The villain’s role seems to be a theme for her, as Chutney, Fanny and Lucy all might fit that description.) “I see acting as a great tool for writing, in that it’s an avenue for me to delve into the minds of my characters and see through their eyes, feel their emotions, think their thoughts,” she says. “Acting involves a great deal of empathy, and to be able to improve that aspect of myself has been hugely beneficial for my storytelling.”
3. TOUR GUIDE EXTRAORDINAIRE
4. FAVORITE CLASS: A PEOPLE PERSON
Kettles, who hails from Los Angeles, California, works as a tour guide in Lee Chapel. “I enjoy the performance of giving tours, and meeting people is my favorite aspect of the job. I’ve greeted visitors from all over the country. Visiting the chapel and the museum is a great way for people to learn more about the university’s history.” Her family has its own history at W&L: her parents, Lorena Manriquez ’88 and Gregg Kettles ’88, met during their student days here. Her younger sister, Carolina, is a senior at the United World College in New Mexico.
Kettles is really enjoying her Social Psychology class. “The way people affect and influence others fascinates me the most,” she says, “and the class really delves into that topic.” Learning about such things as selfpresentation and confirmation biases has “helped me create more realistic characters from learning about the way people think and act in social settings.”
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