S45: Sean Edwards

[Whimsy]

From Entertainment Weekly: 

 

Name: Sean Edwards
Age: 35 
Hometown: Lawrence, New Jersey 
Current Residence: Provo-Orem, Utah  
Occupation: School Principal  

3 Words to Describe You: Connection-seeker, ambitiously minded, magnetic energy.  

Why do you want to be part of Survivor? I have been watching Survivor ever since the very beginning. I always wanted to play, but for so many years never had the confidence to even put myself out there. For me, Survivor represents my chance to reclaim a lot of lost time and missed opportunities. Now that I have pride and confidence in myself, I am ready to play and win!  
What's one life experience you feel has prepared you for the game? As a gay man, overcoming social stigma and religious expectations helped me to develop mental grit, tenacity, and resilience, which is absolutely necessary for Survivor.  

Which previous player do you identify with the most? Who do you think you will play most like? I identify the most with Zeke Smith. He was always authentic and true to himself. He always came across as genuine, even in his gameplay. I imagine I will play the most like Cirie Fields and Todd Herzog. They both were able to use the power of connection and social wit to form relationships that brought them further into the game. Then, when those relationships no longer served their game play, they voted them out. I know that sounds harsh, but that's the game! We can be friends after I win, I promise.  

What will you value in an alliance partner? Something I really value in my everyday life as an elementary school principal is diverse perspectives. I am going to bring that value into the game. I want to align with people who think differently than me because they will be able to see situations from a different vantage point, suss out shady people, or have different ideas that I may not initially see, notice or have.  

Favorite Hobbies: My husband, Matt, is a great cook. My favorite thing to do is eat his food while spending quality time with him and watching Survivor seasons. I also love a good game night with my cousins.  

Pet Peeves: People who are arrogant and think they are better than others.  

What is the accomplishment you are most proud of? I am pretty proud of a lot of things, like being the first openly gay school principal in my school district, getting my doctorate degree, having my work published in various academic journals, but all of that pales in comparison to my absolute greatest success in life which is marrying my husband, Matt.  

What is something we would never know from looking at you? When people first meet me, they often make assumptions. Almost everyone thinks I am younger than I really am. There was a time in my life when I was a high school vice principal and parents and visitors thought I was the student body president. So, people are always surprised to learn that I am so accomplished in my education and career. I'm not just here for a good time, I am goal driven and a natural leader. 

Who in your life is your biggest inspiration and why? My older sister, Elaine, has autism. She is nonverbal, aggressive, and self-injurious, and cannot live independently. Although she faces more challenges every day than most other people, she smiles, laughs, and gets through it. I hope to one day have an ounce of her bravery.  

Why will you be the Sole Survivor? Survivor is largely a social game and my skills in this area will lead me to becoming the next Sole Survivor. I can read people's emotions, empathize with others, connect with anyone, and make people feel comfortable with me. These skills will help me to build alliances naturally and easily. I'm ready to claim the $1 million now.    

[LadyChatts]

Exit interview with Sean:

https://ew.com/tv/survivor-45-sean-edwards-quit-interview/

-he said that when Jeff asked what the Survivor experience has meant to him, that's when he got emotional and began that 'I'm missing my husband' spiel

-he was aware that he had to go to Ponderosa first and wouldn't be able to go home, but said his wanting out had nothing to do with being homesick or missing his husband.  He simply felt he got what he wanted out of the experience and was at peace with it (he refers to it as claiming lost time)

-however, he does have regrets about quitting now that time has passed.  He felt had they voted Sifu out and he went back to camp with the girls, he might have felt re-energized at being in the game

-he also knew for sure it was going to be Sifu and didn't feel like he was going to be blindsided

-he thinks he probably wouldn't have quit had he started out on Reba or Belo because they actually knew how to win

[kav]

I hope that he was able to show to some of his students that you don't need to actually complete everything you start to feel like  you learned something from it or received what you wanted to from the activity. 

[violet and green]

I would think perservering in the face of difficulty would be a better example to set his students.

[JenMcSnark]

I read his Q&A from Parade magazine where he said a lot of what @LadyChatts posted above, but to me it seems he was a bit of a mess.

Saying that he wished he articulated better because he was TRYING to say that he got what he could from Survivor and realized that he wasn't going to get his past back or whatever.  He has some regrets about quitting. 

Seems like Jeff's question and then Sean's response to it led Sean further and further down the thought process of being done with Survivor when he hadn't really felt that way going into Tribal Council. lol A. Mess.

[seacliffsal]

4 hours ago, kav said:

I hope that he was able to show to some of his students that you don't need to actually complete everything you start to feel like  you learned something from it or received what you wanted to from the activity. 

I disagree as I have had numerous students over the years who didn't want to complete their work and other obligations.  Tried to give up on courses when they just didn't want to work hard, etc.  But, those who persevered really grew and learned about their own potential and abilities.

Educators face a lot of challenges and, at times, safety issues related to students.  I hope the staff, parents, and students at his school don't feel like he would quit on them after he learned enough about being a principal and didn't feel the need to continue.

[LadyChatts]

2 hours ago, JenMcSnark said:

I read his Q&A from Parade magazine where he said a lot of what @LadyChatts posted above, but to me it seems he was a bit of a mess.

Saying that he wished he articulated better because he was TRYING to say that he got what he could from Survivor and realized that he wasn't going to get his past back or whatever.  He has some regrets about quitting. 

Seems like Jeff's question and then Sean's response to it led Sean further and further down the thought process of being done with Survivor when he hadn't really felt that way going into Tribal Council. lol A. Mess.

Jeff mentioned in his podcast that he thought making that comment to Sean about the experience made Sean think he was actually being voted off.   But Sean denied that.  He really didn’t make sense in his exit interviews as to why he quit, but he does seem sorry.

[JenMcSnark]

1 minute ago, LadyChatts said:

Jeff mentioned in his podcast that he thought making that comment to Sean about the experience made Sean think he was actually being voted off.   But Sean denied that.  He really didn’t make sense in his exit interviews as to why he quit, but he does seem sorry.

They mentioned that in the Parade article too.  I think it's possible but even so, Sean was a mess and I'm glad he has some regrets (otherwise I would worry about him).  lol

[kav]

On 10/19/2023 at 8:00 PM, seacliffsal said:

I disagree as I have had numerous students over the years who didn't want to complete their work and other obligations.  Tried to give up on courses when they just didn't want to work hard, etc.  But, those who persevered really grew and learned about their own potential and abilities.

Educators face a lot of challenges and, at times, safety issues related to students.  I hope the staff, parents, and students at his school don't feel like he would quit on them after he learned enough about being a principal and didn't feel the need to continue.

I believe that not wanting to finish something that is assigned and not really a choice to complete and something you choose to do for personal gain are different.