Precious Quire-McCloud is a native of Liberia, West Africa and has resided in the States since early childhood;
a childhood FILLED with encouragement and praise! As a result of those precious gifts from her parents, Rev. Christian
and Maggie Quire, she has ALWAYS felt equipped with the tools necessary for success and ALWAYS believed in herself
and in her ability to influence her destiny; as well as positively impact the lives of others. She approaches life,
circumstances and people with optimism and a fullness of joy that is as infectious as it is tireless. For as long as
she can remember, she has been an advocate for self-expression, deliberate actions and purposeful living...UBU embodies her
soul and is representative of her heart's outcry for those who are discouraged and emotionally void of the happiness
that is innately theirs.
As an agent for social change,
Precious believes that a positive attitude, confidence and a healthy self-concept are the perfect antidotes to overcoming
adversity and self-doubt. To know God is to know peace; therefore, she carefully guards her spirit and vigilantly seeks harmony
in all relationships. While seeking harmony, she has learned and found peace in understanding that everyone is not
assigned to walk alongside her in her life journey...still she perseveres and is fiercely focused making THE difference
that she was created to. Whether by word, action or example, she spreads her powerful message of self-love to all with
whom she comes in contact; primarily targeting female youth and adult women.
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| Precious as a young girl in Liberia, W. Africa (1974) |
Her undergraduate studies were completed
at Appalachian State University, where she attended on a Track & Field scholarship. She was named
"Freshman of the Year", broke the university's triple jump record and qualified for Nationals. She earned
a B.S. Degree in Communications and was active in service organizations, residence life and two University choirs. While
at ASU, she was inducted into the Omicron Kappa chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority. A few years later,
she pursued graduate studies and earned an MBA from High Point University.
Precious and her husband have been together for 18 years, married
for 13 delightful years and have been blessed with 4 awesome children: 3 handsome/loving sons and
1 precious/beautiful daughter. She thanks God for the stability and joy her husband and children add to her life
daily. There is wonderful chaos that surrounds her with this bunch...and she's have it no other way!
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| The McClouds, Christmas 2010 |
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She
is saddened by the need of women to sometimes make comparisons as a means to boost self-esteem and feels that the
only thing gained is warped self-awareness - all the while robbing them of the opportunity to meet someone who may impact
their life for the better. "Until you are able to look in the mirror and be totally in love with the person staring back
at you, you are not prepared to experience and enjoy your life to its fullest. It is destructive to compare
the best that you can do with the best that someone else can do. There is so much value in simply being who God created
you to be. Be yourself...UBU!."
Music and dance have always been a part of Precious' fabric as in the Liberian culture, there is no separation of these
forms of expression from daily life.
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Theatrical Credits (1999 to Present): - A Streetcar Named Desire (Little Theater of WS)
- Joseph and
the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Little Theater of WS)
- Electronic Negro (NC Black Repertory Company)
- The
Exonerated (Blue Moon Theater Company)
- Big River (Little Theater of WS)
- Black Nativity (NC Black Repertory
Company)
- Nuncrackers: A Nunsense Christmas Musical (WS Theater Alliance)
- Don't Bother Me, I Can't Cope (NC
Black Repertory Company)
- Godspell (Little Theater of WS)
- Mahalia: Queen of Gospel (NC Black Repertory Company)
- Sordid
Lives (WS Theater Alliance)
- Four Queens-No Trump (NC Black Repertory Company)
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Precious loves the Arts and has performed on stage locally for 12 years.
She has performed with the Blue Moon Theater Company, The Little Theater of WS, the NC Black Repertory Company
and Theater Alliance of WS.
She is a 12-year veteran with the NC Black Repertory Company and considers herself
blessed and fortunate to have performed in four National Black Theater Festivals (1999, 2005, 2007 and 2009), three of
them in leading roles.
Her passion for the stage is undeniable and she thanks God for such an amazing
gift. Her "front row" is made up of her amazingly supportive husband, four fabulous and talented children
and the two people who were her only audience for years, her faithful and loving parents.
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While she is proud of her achievements
in education, business and the performing arts, she feels her greatest sole accomplishment is her obedience to what
God has charged her hands to do. "If a difference is made in only one person's life, UBU will not have
been in vain...Here I am, Lord - send me."
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