By: Matthew Seeger, Talon Staff
The morning of August 15, 2015, was an emotional one for the Destin family as they drove to the St. Maarten Island airport, but it was the first day of the rest of future Tallahassee Community College student Mike Destin’s life.
“Mom took me to the airport in my brother’s car, playing this Dutch song from Glennis Grace & Edwin Evers, ‘Wil je niet nog een nacht,’ meaning, ‘Don’t you want just one night,’” Destin said. “My Mom was just trying to be strong, telling me to remember, ‘don’t wear your pants below your waist, always wear a belt, don’t forget your manners, make sure you eat, and I love you.’ We were acting tough until we both broke down and started crying. Man… I miss my Mom.”
Destin, 25, is a senior at TCC majoring in theater. He says he was introduced to acting as a freshman in high school, where he was encouraged to take it on professionally.
“I didn’t know that drama was actually something that you could get paid for. I thought it was just, like, a fun class. You come in, have fun, play some games, impersonate some people, and then go back to our real lives,” Destin said. “But my professor told me, ‘Mike, I see you really enjoy this class. You know, you can actually get paid for this,’ and I was like, ‘wait, for real?’”
Born and raised in the Caribbean with his five siblings and a single mom, Mike brought an abundance of passion for his major with him to the Sunshine State, which as any actor knows, has its fair share of difficulties.
“For performing, I would say… the mental preparation (is the most difficult element of acting). Like, you definitely need to get your mind in alignment with everything,” Destin said. “I mean, besides the physical strain that it takes on you to remember your lines, to rehearse all these different days, etcetera. Just to get your mind ready.”
Destin doesn’t want to limit himself to acting alone. Theater definitely isn’t the only kind of performance the young entertainer wants to have under his belt.
“Besides acting, I write and compose my own original music. I play both the piano and guitar, and I would love to excel in my music career (in addition to acting),” Destin said. “I write poetry and spoken word, (some of which) I have submitted to the Eyrie. I write plays and monologues and I would love to grow as a dancer. I have pretty huge aspirations that are going to be made manifest sooner than most might expect.”
Destin participates in sports during his free time, including basketball and soccer, but says most of his attention goes to track and field.
“I was a semi-professional sprinter in the 100-meter and 200-meter sprint,” Destin said. “I was Dutch Caribbean Champion in 2011 and had a very bright career ahead of me before an injury slowed me down. I still train during my gym time, because I’m planning on getting back into it soon.”
When asked what he likes most about Tallahassee Community College, Destin said it’s the diversity.
“It’s so cool to be able to meet students from around the world all the time,” Destin said. “I also enjoy all the activities they have for students. They make every day here on campus special.”
