Chandler Dedman came to Shorter from Carrolton, Ga. Dedman has a unique background as he was homeschooled for most of his life up until his senior year where he attended Holy Ground Baptist Academy. Dedman will be majoring in church music, with piano being his focus. His mother took him to his first piano lesson when he was four; he has been hooked ever since. Dedman decided to come to Shorter because he wanted to go to a Christian school.
“I wanted to enjoy myself without worrying about my faith being in jeopardy. When I came on campus for a Saturday at Shorter, I was convinced that God wanted me to come here,” he said.
After visiting campus, Dedman was ready to move in the next day. He had been saving for college since he was fourteen so he worked even harder to pay at least the first year of college. He felt so overwhelmingly happy when he paid his tuition at the business office that he had to restrain himself from doing his “happy dance” in front of everybody.
“I don’t worry about the coming up year because I know that God has a plan for me,” he said.
Dedman believes Shorter is the coolest university ever and truly loves all his professors and friends. The thing he looks most forward to this year is improving his academic skills as well as his music skills, but most of all that his faith becomes stronger. Dedman wants to pursue a career that combines his faith and love for music.
“I am thankful for my current piano teacher the great Terry Lowry, without him and God’s will, I would have never been here. I would like to accomplish God’s plan for me and hopefully become a music minister or a worship leader at a church,” he said.
“I am told, too, that I usually don’t talk a lot,” Dedman said, “but Abraham Lincoln once said, better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt”.
