Getting To Know Brady West (Yesteryear)

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My name is Brady West, AKA Yesteryear, and I’m the new State Fair public relations intern here at the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Every year at the State Fair, after a long day of looking at exhibits and eating lots of fried foods, my family and I would always end our journey at the Village of Yesteryear. Slowing down at the end of the day and glancing at handmade silver rings, woodworks and origami became a tradition in my family. Something about ending a present experience with something from the past always resonated with me.

A photo stand-in with a farmer and a pig with a blue ribbon. An older boy in the head of the farmer and a younger boy in the head of the pig.
My Brother and I reluctantly getting our picture taken with the photo stand-in

I am from Sampson County, an agricultural powerhouse where fields and fences span as far as the eye can see. I started working on a produce farm when I was in middle school and learned the process in which food is grown, processed, and sent to customers.

After graduating from Midway High School, I accepted a scholarship to attend Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina. I’m a rising sophomore majoring in Business Marketing and Communications. One of my favorite parts of college life is serving as the Furman University News Channel’s Director. Sharing updates about new campus events, local news and sports developments is always exciting.

A man in a tan shirt and a man in a black shirt sitting down looking at a screen while a man in a grey shirt stands behind them with his hands on their shoulders. In the background, another man can be seen behind a computer monitor.
Furman University News Channel (AKA FUNC) working hard on the latest story

I have also been in 13 separate musical productions. I enjoyed doing productions for Sampson Community Theatre, Harnett Regional Theatre, and my high school. My favorite production of all time was Hello Dolly at Harnett Regional Theatre, where I met a lot of my close friends. Theater taught me the value of teamwork and community, and from then on, I found myself drawn to those types of experiences.

A boy with checkered green and black suit, pants, and bowtie and a blue shirt. A lady with a blue dress and a man with a grey suit lay in the background.
A photo of me from Hello Dolly
A photo stand-in with an alligator standing up and holding a basket of fried products and another alligator laying down in a bed of chips. One head has a female with black glasses and the other a male.
A dear friend of mine and I getting the yearly photo stand-in picture.


I have a passion for writing, filming, photography, and stories. When I was 16, I finished my first novel that was a story I imagined since I was six. I have written over 15 shorts stories, a short novel, and multiple poems, one of them winning a national contest.

With the Department of Agriculture this summer, I hope to share stories and work with the Public Affairs team to bring you the best North Carolina State Fair yet! See you all there!

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