Giving more brings more to you

This archived article was written by: Benoni Sowah

From Scotland Aberdeen, Bethany Rose Gilmour-Woodruff was born to a family of seven siblings. She is the middle child with two brothers and three sisters. Both of her parents are high school teachers. Her passed away three years ago.
She remembers her dad as the normal dad. “He was quite strict.”
“Although he was strict, we still knew he loved us,” Gilmour said. She said her mother is very pretty and the strongest person she has ever met.
She had a busy childhood. There was always something to do with the family. She was looked after well and taught right from wrong. She was allowed to learn from her mistakes.
Gilmour has always dreamt of coming to America. She wanted to go to Brigham Young University because the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ran it and they had high standards. She always wants to be around people or places that makes her better than she is. She is a member of the LDS Churh, the only member of the church in her high school of 3,000 students.
She had never heard of Price, Utah. She heard of the school through Brandt Peacock who was a USU-Eastern Ambassador and served his LDS mission in her ward in Scotland. She was nervous, but excited to come to USU-Eastern. The thought of coming to America and college overwhelmed her. She saw USU-CEU as the stepping-stone to other schools.
Finally she landed in Price, Utah. Those she met have treated her really nice. And she soon began to like it.
She said as compared to when she came, student activity and involvement has increased a lot.
At first she wanted to keep to herself, but at the same time wanted to put herself our there. After a while, she met Wilford Woodruff who helped her figure out the American coins. She said unlike many guys, he was himself around her. It was obvious he was not trying to impress her. “Willy,” she said was the first guy she was intrigued by.” They became friends and began dating.
“I was 18 at that time and afraid he would marry me. But if I let him go, I was afraid I wouldn’t find a guy like him,” she said.
After careful thoughts and prayer, she realized she was being selfish. They dated for six months until they were engaged and married four months later.
She said, “Married life is not what I expected. It is not all hunky-dory. But I won’t change it because there are many moments that make it worth it.”
She has learned a lot about herself and where she wants to be since she got married. Gilmour said Woodruff is reliable and serviceable. “He serves me all the time. He cooks and cleans a lot,” she added.
Gilmour wants to major in theater. She started to dance and sing when she was 9. She has always loved to act and sing when she was in elementary school. Her mother is her inspiration. She also sings.
She believes she has realized her talent at USU-Eastern. “Because it is a small school, my teachers see my potential and are willing to work with me.”
She is sensitive and wears her heart on her sleeves. She has found ways of expressing her emotions in plays. She said she channels her emotions and feelings into her roles. She finds the ways in which she and the characters she plays are the same and that helps her act the part well.
Acting is an art she has discovered and appreciated. It allows her to be creative. It is her way of venting and relieving stress.
Gilmour believes she has earned some roles, not because she is the best, but probably because her teachers see in her something she does not. She believes her nationality and the perspective she brings also accounts for the parts she earned in many plays. “I read scripts with a different perspective that others may not.”
Acting has helped in her maturity. She said it has given her a chance to grow and feel she is forever progressing. She hopes to act on Broadway and in Hollywood some day.
Gilmour said if she does not have kids in the next five years, she would be acting and working. She thinks this time is her prime time to act and to gain experience. Someday she wants to teach drama at either high school or university level.
Like everyone, there are things she wishes she had done differently and one is how serious she took her classes. Although she did not fail, she wishes she had been a little more serious.
Todd Olsen said he is inspired by her decision to leave her country to go to school in America. He said, Gilmour is one of the most genuine people he has met. “She is what she is; she does not pretend.”
He said she has a lot of potential and has not even considered many of them yet. “Gilmour has earned the roles she has played because of the role choices she makes, and she is good…She always surprises me.”
Gilmour believes that life is not all about you. It is about others. She said she has learned from her experience that giving more to others brings more to you.