Skyler Fike

Skyler was born on September 17 in Dallas, Texas. Bred in what some would call a "creative household," it was a known fact before even taking his first steps that he was destined to receive barely decent grades in school and still maintain his passion for drawing and coloring. At the age of two he enjoyed intently the challenge of 20-piece puzzles and taking objects apart . . . without permission. This newly discovered infatuation with dismantling things and putting them back together eventually led to a solid four year streak of building with Tinker Toys and Lincoln Logs. And by the ripe age of seven, Skyler became skilled in and eventually mastered the art of impromptu Lego construction - an art by which he rarely utilized the often-hailed instruction booklet. Motivated by the progression and eager to take matters to the next level, Skyler spent some time throughout middle school and high school building uncompromisingly important social connections through various chauffeured coffee dates and school-organized dances. This, coupled with a GPA hardly worth boasting, laid the groundwork for future college-level exemplar. But such exemplar didn't come without some hardship. Life for Skyler throughout middle school and high school could only be characterized by coping with a laundry list of sheer frustrations and unnecessary anxieties. In the sixth grade, standing shy of 4'-9", people somehow still managed to notice him enough to remind him of the 5-foot marker far into the distant future - ninth grade to be exact. At which point - ninth grade, that is - Skyler's mother convinced him that running for class president would be the best idea for him, you know, because he could see over the podium and all. In a desperate attempt to compensate for things lacking, he took the advice, and won. This accelerated his popularity to a level that even Justin Timberlake wished he had. After achieving a highly-ranked top-50% academic class placement, two years of famed class presidency, and three attempts at one hard-fought satisfactory score on the SAT, Skyler packed up and headed two hours north to the University of Oklahoma. There he sought a degree in architecture, a profession which would require him to unknowingly pull countless all-nighters at the expense of his college social life and the possible pursuit other higher-paying professions. Throughout college Skyler developed a sincere passion for many things including writing, studying religion, and playing outside with his friends. When he started college his academic advisor at the time told him he "shouldn't pursue religious studies as a minor because it was a program that required a lot of reading and writing, and architecture students don't know how to read and write." However, despite the brilliant advice offered to him by the esteemed counselor, he followed through in the pursuit anyway (perhaps out of spite for ignorance in general) and in 2010 graduated Magna Cum Laude d'Ultimate Frisbee from the College of Architecture. After his undergraduate years, Skyler went on to study film, photography, and creative writing at the University of Self Education at Barnes and Noble, while attending evening classes Half Price Books and Amazon.com. This set him up for an impressive nose-dive into debt, and coincidentally diluting the hard-earned degree that his five years in architecture school afforded him. Even so, a camera was purchased, books were torn through, the strange became familiar, and new things were learned. Before long, though, he discovered that the pursuit of multiple vocations didn't necessarily mean the dilution of what was already learned and practiced. In fact, photography, writing, architecture, film, and a strict dedication to drinking beer and straight whiskey (not together) with friends on patios were all inseparable and entirely necessary to the process of understanding these things respectively. The day-to-day for this polymath wannabe involves designing houses and other buildings, shooting film and photography, and talking about where he falls short in business practices with successful people. Skyler's huge debut in acting came about when a friend asked him to be in a music video. It didn't really go viral, but someone did recognize him once. Then, out of thin air, he got cast in his first movie, 'Joyful.' He found the whole experience to be utterly exciting and completely unnerving, but he still did his best. He hopes to keep this acting train steamin' down the ol' tracks, but for now he practices architecture in Dallas; that is, until New York or LA calls him home. Once there, he intends to audition, wait tables, and cry while slurping bowls of room temp ramen.