Class of '04 & '05
Erik Parks (’04) came to Christ at a young age, but it wasn’t until he attended Bryan College that his worldview truly began to come into focus. His friends and professors were instrumental in pointing him toward a closer relationship with the Lord. During his
junior year, he spent a semester at the Los Angeles Film Studies Center in Hollywood, California. There, he studied film and interned at Avenue Pictures. Shortly thereafter, he graduated from Bryan with a degree in Communication Arts and took a job in Nashville,
Tennessee at VCE Productions.
In his role at VCE Productions, he writes, directs, and edits commercial video work for his clients. Over the years, Erik has also written, produced, directed, and edited multiple short films and has taken home several awards for his work. In the last few years, he has written multiple feature-length screenplays. His love of storytelling and the creative process led him to produce his first feature film in 2019 called Why We Breathe. The movie was picked up for distribution by Crown Entertainment in 2020. He is currently in pre-production on his second feature film called Made Clean.
Catherine (Strode) Parks (’05) graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature. While at Bryan, she played varsity volleyball for three years and served in student government and as an RA. She and Erik got to know each other on a Break for Change trip to Italy, and after she graduated, they were married and made their home in Nashville, where they have lived for the past 20 years. They have two children: Sophie (18) and Micah (15). While at Bryan, Catherine obtained a minor in writing, and she has been able to use it in a variety of jobs, including her current position as an acquisitions editor for Moody Publishers. She is also the author of five books, the most recent being What to Wear, a middle-grade Bible study on Colossians 3. In her after-work hours, she coaches volleyball for Franklin Classical School.
Catherine credits Bryan College with equipping her to live a life of purpose and meaning for the glory of God. Her professors and friends sharpened her to think critically and to look with love and compassion on the world around her. She considers her years at Bryan as part of the class of 2005 an incredible blessing, and she is encouraged to see her classmates’ examples in living out their callings all around the world.