Faces of Midland: Spencer Donnelly
Faces of Midland is a collaborative storytelling project celebrating the vibrant lives of those who live, work, and thrive in Midland.
The World Needs More Smiles
Spencer Donnelly knows kindness matters.
By Trisha Fenby
Photo by Renee’ Deckrow, Captured Studio
Spencer Donnelly believes we need more smiles in the world. He is an old soul, with the foundation that everyone has the ability to improve the lives of others.
Encourage others, Spencer says, “Even if it's outside of your comfort zone, embrace it, because if it doesn't go well, you learn.”
He learned quickly that kindness matters. His first job was at the drive through of Panda Express. He truly enjoyed making connections with people and making them smile. The COVID-19 Pandemic was a transformative time for Spencer, opening his eyes to the need for kindness and community. Now, as a server at Applebees, Spencer strives to bring smiles and hospitality to everyone he serves. His positive energy radiates as he takes gentle care of his patrons.
After graduating from Dow High School, Spencer took a gap year—unsure of his next step until his sister introduced him to massage therapy. She was studying this field and suggested he consider it, knowing his passion and talent for making others feel better. Massage Therapy blends the science of anatomy, kinesiology, and physiology with the skill and intuition of touch. For Spencer, this is an opportunity to use his energy to help others, living his passion. During his studies, he struggled at times, feeling tested by personal setbacks, but he got through those struggles. Completing this training has provided a sense of accomplishment in Spencer, recognizing that he has skills he was previously unaware of, and building his confidence. Now he is waiting to take the next step, the state exam. Once he is certified, Spencer has a five-year plan to stay here in Midland and build a clientele. He would like to network with other holistic health professionals to help people in their healing process and possibly team up with his sister to do couples massages.
Family is important to Spencer, and one of the reasons he has remained in the area. He is the youngest of three children. His two older sisters are twins, but they are uniquely different. One, Spencer explains, “is the girl version of me. And we joke that I’m the forgotten twin.” Her actual twin is the exact opposite. She studied pharmaceuticals in school and works in this field. Spencer says it adds fun and flavor to the family conversation, as he and Meridith are in a very holistic field, they like to joke around. But everyone feels fulfilled with the choices they made, and that adds meaning to the family unit. He particularly enjoys spending time with his three-year-old nephew Dustin, who lovingly refers to Spencer as “Funkle Spence”. “He’s a mini me”, Spencer smiles, “He looks just like I did when I was little”.
For those that misunderstand Spencer, he tries to meet them where they are. He’s open enough to share his “why” and hope it helps raise their understanding. His motto, ”You gotta find your people that understand you and keep them close.”
One of the things that breaks Spencer’s heart is seeing people in pain. Volunteers come in to provide the massage therapy students an opportunity to practice. Spencer sees the way they move, the discomfort, and disease in their body, and his heart hurts for them. But in true Spencer fashion, he sees that he can make a difference.
Healing and hospitality are powerful forms of service. Spencer blends them so naturally into his life that work rarely weighs him down. “Just realizing I am able to help people and make an impact on them. Like, yeah, that's beautiful.”