Interview by Gainesville High School Junior and Abernathy Cochran Intern Kate Willis
Meet Christi Conti-Holloway! Christi is the Dual Enrollment Coordinator at Gainesville High School. She grew up in Louisiana, where she met her husband, Brent, who now works for Hall County Parks & Leisure. They have two children, and have lived in Gainesville for 18 years.
Question: What inspired you or led you to your current career?
Answer: “I started teaching dual enrollment English classes and just fell in love with the Dual Enrollment Program. It’s such a good opportunity for students. Then when the person that had this position realized she was going to leave, she started training me. It was just a very natural fit.”
Q: What is your favorite restaurant in Hall County, and what do you love there?
A: “All the specials at Antebellum. Also, Scott’s.”
Q: How long have you lived or worked in Hall County?
A: “Since 2006, so 18 years.”
Q: Who is the most interesting person you’ve met in Hall County and why?
A: “All of my students. I’ve taught students from five different continents, students from Turkey, South America, Russia, and more. You know you are getting old when you run into former students that are now fellow parents of kids here.”
Q: What is your favorite childhood memory?
A: “My parents were good about taking us to different natural parks, to have an appreciation for nature and how beautiful our country is. I hope to continue that tradition with my girls.”
Q: If you could travel anywhere in the world right now, where would it be and why?
A: “The Philippines. I’ve never been to Asia, and I love history and beaches, so it’s got it all.”
Q: What is the first movie you remember seeing in a theater?
A: “‘Home Alone.’ My sister, my cousin, and I saw it on Christmas Day.”
Q: What advice would you give a crowd of people?
A: “A formal principle advised me not to ever do anything that you can’t defend in court, and I think that is advice worth sharing.”
Q: What is something on your bucket list?
A: “I hope to convert my daughters into runners, and I hope to run the PeachTree Road Race with them.”
Q: What is your favorite music/ three bands you would like to see (dead or alive)?
A: “Taylor Swift, Alanis Morissette, and Drive-By Truckers.”
Q: What local business makes you the most nostalgic about Hall County and why?
A: “Blockbuster; it was a video rental place in Gainesville and we spent a lot of time there when we first moved here.”
Q: Choosing anyone (past or present and a non-relative), with whom would you love to have lunch?
A: “Zora Neale Hurston; she’s one of my favorite writers and I loved studying her in college and teaching her works in American Lit. We would go to Atlanta Seafood Market; she’s from Florida so I think she would like the seafood there.”
Q: What is your favorite thing about Hall County?
A: “It’s so pretty; the lake, the parks, and the little traditions are so nice. The Gainesville Homecoming Parade is one of my favorite things.”
Q: Where do you see yourself in five or 10 years?
A: “I hope to be here at Gainesville High School. A cool thing about Gainesville High is that if you are a faculty member here, you get to hand your child their diploma; my kids are definitely getting their diploma from me.”
Q: What is something interesting that most people don’t know about you?
A: “I had my appendix out in Italy.”
Q: What three words mean “Home” to you?
A: “Brent, Harper, and Blair.”
Q: If you were cast into a major motion picture and had your choice of anyone to be your co-star, who would you choose?
A: “Tina Fey; I just really like her humor, and she’s a really great writer. She’ll be my new best friend, I’m sure.”
Q: If you had a full-time staff member that was fully paid for, who would you choose?
A: “A chauffeur. They could drive my kids around, which would free up a lot of time for me.”
