Meet Che Echols | Student, Actor and Model

We had the good fortune of connecting with Che Echols and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Che, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?
Work life for me consists of my college courses and my creative lifestyle. The issue I had to overcome is the fact that my major and my creative lifestyle don’t compliment each other at all. Currently I’m a fifth year premed student at Auburn University, but i’m also the vice president of my campus’s modeling organization and a signed model/actor for an agency called Vogue Models and Talent in the Atlanta area. On average a successful premed student should spend atleast 30 hours studying course material each week on top of going to labs and lectures; this leaves little time for my creative lifestyle and personal life. My compromise occurred after I came to the realization that what I love doing in life isn’t what i’m going to school for. I love being in front of and occasionally behind the camera, That’s what I want to do with my life. However, I couldn’t just drop out and pursue my dreams. I have alot of people looking to me to graduate. As a black man at Auburn University studying premed I am a rarity, demographically speaking i’m one of the only black men studying premed at Auburn. I couldn’t just drop out and let the already “undiverse” classrooms lose their only piece of diversity. For my family, for myself, and for every young African American that either gave up or is thinking of giving up I decided to remain and graduate to show them that we can do it. So I will graduate. It will probably take a little bit longer than my peers but it will undoubtedly happen. Normal weeks for me now look like classes and studying during the day and modeling and acting on my nights and weekends. Overall this works for me, It could definitely be more specific but it works, and I believe once I graduate in may i’ll have all the time I want to focus solely on my craft.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My craft is still in its beginning stages so even with all the good I could say about it I want to acknowledge my pursuit towards growth. I’m not where I want to be, but I believe I will soon get there. What sets me apart from the other creatives is my personality. I’m an extremely confident and personable individual so even before any work is done I’ve usually gained the respect of whoever I’m working with. On top of that I always give my best effort. I don’t like being comfortable so I’m constantly working towards getting better. I’m where I am right now because or my innate want to be an actor. if you were to find any of my elementary or middle school classmates and ask them what Che wanted to do when he grew up, they would tell you “he wanted to become a famous actor”. It’s always been a want of mine; I couldn’t imagine my life without that feeling. With that being said this lifestyle definitely isn’t easy. I find myself often times being overlooked either because of my color or my size. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but southern living has a very distinct idea of what they want, and unfortunately I sometimes don’t fit that. But, where one door closes another opens, and I continue to persevere until I’ve earned the respect I believe I deserve. What I want the world to know about me is my name is Che Echols. I believe in God. I believe in hard work, and I believe in myself. One day the world will know my name.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I’m a city boy at heart so my favorite side of town is Buckhead. The first place I’d take anyone on their first trip to Atlanta is Lenox square. There’s no mall quite like it, and just walking around is a days worth of entertainment. I’ve ironically never eaten at a fancy restaurant in Atlanta but for lunch we’d definitely be getting Hello Chicken. The sweet and sour chicken box is the best chicken I’ve had anywhere. Ponce city market is a place I’d go to talk and sightsee whilst getting some exercise. Other spots I’d like to eat at are Waffle house and ABC chicken and waffles. I’m from Texas so there’s a good chance my friend wouldn’t have those before. The last notable day time attractions we’d go to would be the aquarium because I love animals and six flags. I’m also a big fan of Atlanta’s nightlife so Truist Park and EdgeWood would be every night visits.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Before I can give thanks to any organization I would like to firstly give thanks to God for ordering my steps in the way they needed to be based on his plan for me. I’d also like to thank my mother, the loml, that has given everything for me to be where I’m at today against all odds. Andy Hardaway, my idol and highschool theater instructor that saw my creative spirit and affinity towards acting. I would like to give a very special shout out to the Auburn University modeling board. I love all of my models, and they push me to be even better each day. Without this organization I, without a doubt, would not be modeling today. I’d also like to give a special thanks to Vogue Models Talent and my agent Allisah for signing me and giving me a chance when others wouldn’t.

Instagram: che_echols98

Image Credits
Ben Wombough Johnathan Warren