About Me!
Hey, Hello, Hi!
Updated July 5th, 2025
My name is Courtney Cierra Randle, or C.C. Randle, it all depends on how you meet me!
I received my Bachelor of Arts in English Education from Trinity Christian College in 2012. During my time there, I was able to spend time abroad studying Shakespeare and Modern Literature at Oxford University in England. I really love Shakespeare and have since high school. A real nerd.™️
In 2018, I received my first Master's degree: a Master of Science in Human - Computer Interaction from DePaul University. I finished my second Master's in Fine Arts with a concentration in Film and Television Directing, also from DePaul University, in 2023.
My very first film, my thesis, A Mind of Its Own©, is about a black woman with a talking afro, which premiered at the Gene Siskel Film Center, Chicago in 2023. Check out the trailer!
My passions include numerous hobbies: I enjoy watching, analyzing, and making movies. Follow me on Letterboxd! I love bird watching and cooking, not at the same time, I'll have to try that though; I've been told I'm funny and practice stand-up comedy and improv; I collect and create enamel pins, I have hundreds; I relax through photography and attempt to play the guitar, and have spent an abundant amount of time traveling, as a result, have seen over 20+ countries!
I obviously enjoy reading, writing, and I'm always looking for the next big story.
My work lives at the intersection of creative expression and social disruption. I use storytelling to reveal what’s been hidden — in classrooms, in clothes, in systems, and in ourselves.
As a result, I’ve spent the last decade creating films, teaching high school students, building music engagement programs, and surviving (then studying) the politics of workplace harm. I’m currently working on three books: Passing Notes (a media psychology inquiry), Fish Food for a School of Students (about music engagement and ritual in education), and Get Married in It, Get Buried in It (a guide to fashion as resistance and self-respect).
As a nerd I actually enjoy public speaking; weird, I know...and I also offer consulting for educators, organizations, and individuals — in styling, music engagement, and teacher advocacy.
I would say I listen to music more than the average person and love going to live concerts: round two for Jorja Smith is next! Finally, I have a passion for learning and love spending time in museums and libraries, and if you haven't caught on: I consider my superpower to be creativity!