Caitlin McDiarmid
APP Administrator

“I began by getting pierced in a shop in Alabama and becoming friends with the people working there. I worked as receptionist for a short stint before being offered an apprenticeship. I have been enthusiastic about the art of piercing ever since. During my apprenticeship I learned the fundamentals, like disease prevention and basic technique, but was left to learn a lot on my own. By networking with my peers in the profession I have become a pretty well rounded piercer. I’m now a proud member of the APP, and look forward to keeping with standards and promoting health and safety to the piercing industry as long as I’m involved, and will always advocate for the industry that has allowed me to make a profession of something that I truly love.”—Josh Prentice

“The lack of emotional security of our American young people is due, I believe, to their isolation from the larger family unit. No two people—no mere father and mother—as I have often said, are enough to provide emotional security for a child. He needs to feel himself one in a world of kinfolk, persons of variety in age and temperament, and yet allied to himself by an indissoluble bond which he cannot break if he could, for nature has welded him into it before he was born.” —Pearl S. Buck

“Our differences are apparent during meetings and discussions about the business of the Association—we see that clearly. However, our love for each other far surpasses any conflicts or differing opinions.

This reality was driven home by the loss of Josh Prentice while we were in Atlanta. Josh volunteered at the Conference the last three years. I only knew him at Conference, only knew him as one of “my” volunteers. I only him as one of “my” volunteers. I only spent three weeks with him — but he was family and so I grieve for him like I would for family. We all do. We came together, sobbed and mourned upon the news of his death. We worked as best we could on the tasks at hand. Wept during breaks and wept after we were adjourned. We supported each other as best we could. We reached out to our loved ones—our other family members—and let them know we loved them and pleaded with them to be safe in their actions.” — The Point Issue 39: In the Office – Caitlin McDiarmid (Spring 2007)

I wrote that article just a month or so after we lost Josh. And it’s true, I didn’t know him very well or for very long. I think Josh’s death made me realize the impact of relationships—the impact of one single human connection can have. The fact that his death occurred at the same time we were holding a Board meeting in Atlanta also had its own impact. For me it was a serious reminder that ultimately this Association is built on those personal connections, those personal relationships we have—as colleagues, as mentors/students, instructors/ attendees, vendor/customer, Board/ members… and human to human. It made sense to me to have Bethrah included in this article, someone who knew Josh way better than I did.

“Josh Prentice was a remarkable young man. He quit school at the age of 16 to support his family after his father became disabled. After working a handful of different jobs his sister and brother in-law encouraged him to pursue a piercing apprenticeship. He was hesitant at first but once he made the decision to pursue piercing as a career there was no stopping him.

From the beginning he worked diligently to expand his skill level and knowledge base. In 2004 he attended his first APP Conference with us and shortly after came to work in the Atlanta location of Virtue & Vice. When the piercing portion moved two doors down in 2005, Josh’s previous work experience was a true blessing. He pretty much knew how to do everything construction related. Separate from his in-shop time Josh was a brilliant networker. He was in regular contact with piercers all over the country. He was constantly gaining insight, information and new techniques.

On a personal note Josh was a truly loyal friend. He was supportive during some of the crappiest times of my life. He was funny, sweet, sarcastic, brave, and warm. I have this strong memory of him prancing around the counter with his arms open to hug me for no apparent reason at all, smiling his big goofy smile. Even all these years later, there are barely words to describe the empty place he left behind.

I think he would be quietly proud of his legacy. The recognition of those who hold it all up through their hard work and dedication. Those who are unassuming and don’t behave with entitlement. Those who say ‘yes’ to the grunt work and actually show up and do it. That’s who he was, a beautiful example of all of those things.” —Bethrah Szumski

Bethrah brought me to tears last year when she mentioned that Josh’s mother had spoken to her and thanked us all for remembering and honoring her son in the way that we do every year at Conference.

As the years go on, there are more and more people in our industry who never knew Josh or worked with him at the Conference. When I established the Volunteer Award in 2008 (first awarded in 2009) it was simply that I wanted to honor outstanding volunteers for their work and I wanted everyone to remember Josh, who to me epitomized that every single person makes a difference. They make a difference in their lives and the lives of others.

In 2009 I honored both Ed Chavarria and Tiana Mc- Guire. I had wanted to give the award starting in 2008 and had just not put my ducks in a row to get it established. So I made up for it by the double award. I joked when it was first awarded that I knew Josh would have laughed at me for giving a big Lucite obelisk in his name, so I made the awards more personal; less fussy. Over the years, I have honored John C. Johnson (2010), David Kelso (2011), Gus Diamond (2012), Luis Garcia (2013), and Ryan Ouellette (2014). I believe I made good choices and that Josh, if here, would agree. Then he probably would have made a joke about why hadn’t he gotten the award yet, saying something like “I mean it has my name on it.”

When I think of Josh, the loss of him reminds me to reach out and really find out how people are doing in their lives. The memories of my interactions with Josh remind me to be genuine, give with the whole of my heart, smile more, and when I make a mistake say I’m sorry and move on. Small lessons, but important ones.

The Conference after Josh passed, some of his friends gathered around an empty area next to the Splash Bar in the Riviera Hotel’s Casino. We gathered in a circle with glasses in hand and made a toast to Josh, many of us pouring a bit of our drinks on the floor in his honor. At that very moment all the lights went out in the casino. True story.

We miss you Josh. But we won’t forget. And I hope long after I am gone from the organization, someone will still be passing on these simple undeniable words: Every single person can make a difference.