The first time on a movie set isn’t when most actors would be thinking about their academic work, but Dior Love ’24 said that’s exactly where her education came in handy.

The communication studies major was able to step in and help revise and organize a workflow crunch when the film’s makeup director left the project. “Being organized and being able to function as a team is very valuable,” she said. “Albion definitely helped prepare me to do that.”

Beyond helping rescue the shooting schedule, Love spent much of the past summer fleeing deranged murderers as one of the stars of “Ten Dollar Eggs,” a feature-length horror film shot on location in Manchester, Michigan, and currently in negotiations for a fall 2025 release via a streaming platform. The film (which also features Alexis McGinley ’22) follows four friends on a road trip to a trendy new diner which, of course, turns out to be more than a great meal.

Love learned about the film from Assistant Dean of Campus Life Sharese Shannon, a friend of Ten Dollar Eggs Director Charles K. Campbell, who was casting a role for a transgender Black woman. Love found herself on her first film set, surrounded by veterans and holding her own.

“We had a script, but it was just a guide,” Love said, explaining that Campbell encouraged the actors to improvise dialogue. “I already had this habit of randomly blurting out goofy lines from reality TV shows and I just tapped into that. The director kept telling me I was coming up with some great lines.”

The experience gave Love a unique opportunity to assert the identity she formed on campus. “Being a trans Black woman, there’s a certain amount of backlash that comes with that,” she said. “At Albion, talking to my professors, my mentors, even the people working in Baldwin, they all encouraged me to be the person I was meant to be and not the person people think they see. Albion is the place to get support and find a family who is supportive of each other.”

Alahna Dior Love, a Chicago native, is a senior majoring in communication studies and is a member of the James L. Curtis Institute for Social Change. Love is a member of Albion’s track and field team, and is a member of AC Drip and the Haus Of Forte. Love is a graduate of the Johnson College Preparatory School.