Who I am:
My life began once upon a time in a town right outside the majestic land of Atlanta. There isn’t much to my growing up. My family called me Keefer because I couldn’t say Christopher when I was little. I went through the different phases of wearing Lee Pipes and JNCO Jeans in middle school. In high school I ran track, went to a tanning bed, and worked at Hollister (proof). I graduated high school in 2006 and decided to take a year off to work and prepare for the college life the following year. During that period I came across TWLOHA through the hierarchy of MySpace top friends.

Stuff I love:
People know me for my love of Chick-fil-A, sweet tea, and Harry Potter. I’m a very amateur chef, meaning I have gourmet mac and cheese down to a science. I have a good bit of travel planned with my best friend this May. I think my future home will operate a bit like Modern Family. I will see Okkervil River perform before the year is over. And my summer travels will be strategically planned around the premiere of Deathly Hallows Part 2.

Why I’m here:
My initial reaction to the language TWLOHA used is why I knew I wanted to be a part of it. I was surrounded by addiction and depression growing up. It wasn’t something I was battling with personally, it was just there in those around me. There was a certain feeling of isolation and anxiety that came with it as I grew older. Coming across TWLOHA allowed me to be honest with myself and allowed me to understand what I felt throughout the previous years. From there I started talking with a few people who worked for the organization back in 2007 and moved down to Florida the fall of that year as TWLOHA’s first-ever intern.

I have two favorite memories from the road. In 2008 I traveled the country on Warped Tour with some of my new and favorite friends. We had a stop in Camden, NJ which is located across the Benjamin Franklin Bridge from Philadelphia. In my doe-eyed travels, I wanted to go into the city with everyone. That night a few of us ended up in a field next to the Liberty Bell, laying head-to-head in a starlike fashion on the ground, yelling nonsense and being young. The following year on Warped Tour I met a girl and her friend who just needed a word and some advice. I wasn’t sure if she took away any of our conversation, but one year later she wrote me a letter letting me know what that day meant to her and where she was in her life. I’m privileged to hear stories from all over the world that reinforce why we’re here and do what we do. We’re continuously blessed to have a trusted voice into these issues, and all of my firsthand experiences keep me refreshed and thankful to be a part of this story.