Suffolk News-Herald

For many in the business community, the name Chorey is synonymous with excellence; it is also highly esteemed by a young man who sees his father as friend, mentor and now, boss.

Billy Chorey Jr. has joined his father at Chorey & Associates Realty Ltd., and it is difficult to determine just who is the happiest about the new relationship.

&uot;My dad… my dad is just the best there is,&uot; said Billy Jr. &uot;My mom, Gloria Chorey, is a homemaker and I love her dearly and it was from her example that I first learned to love my father so much. She’s a great lady.&uot;

Chorey, a graduate of Nansemond-Suffolk Academy, graduated in May from the University of Virginia with a degree in political science. At age 22, he’s still trying to decide where his future will take him.

&uot;I’m really going to leave that to God,&uot; said Chorey. &uot;I don’t know what he has in store for me, and ideally, I’d like to go back to school. That could change… I’ve a girlfriend, Lauren Steed, who’s a senior at U.Va. and she’s planning to move to Hampton Roads soon. We are looking toward a future together, but again, we’re leaving it up to God.&uot;

Right now, he’s is satisfied with working alongside his dad. Not only does he enjoy being with his father at work, but he also enjoys being back in Suffolk.

&uot;As for the business, I really couldn’t ask for a better teacher than my dad,&uot; said Chorey. &uot;I guess that’s why this transition has gone so smoothly. I am quite comfortable working with the public and I enjoy representing my father’s company. He has an excellent reputation and I want to be recognized in the same manner.&uot;

He added that he has the best of all worlds in living in Suffolk, pointing out the real estate, of course.

&uot;We’re close to the mountains and the beach,&uot; said Chorey. &uot;I do not want to be in a big city, and in Suffolk everybody knows each other and that makes for much less stress. I’ll be involved in residential real estate, and I believe I’ll greatly enjoy helping people purchase the home of their dreams. I’ll leave the commercial line to more experienced people like my dad.&uot;

Chorey is an easy-going person, just like his dad, and he is close with a group of friends from Norfolk Christian School. He is a lifelong member of Westminister Reformed Presbyterian Church, but it wasn’t until his return to Suffolk from U.Va. that he involved himself with the Young Life program, an outreach ministry for high school students.

&uot;Young Life makes Christianity appealing to young people,&uot; he said. &uot;I was big into the program in high school and it kind of dwindled away over the years, but I want to bring it back to the youth of Suffolk. I’m still working on the logistics and I’m currently training with an area director in Western Branch. By next fall, I hope to have 10 or 15 kids involved.&uot;

Chorey didn’t get into the training for Young Life while at university because he had a couple of other commitments that he was determined to keep.

&uot;I was a cheerleader and I was involved in Phi Delta Theta fraternity,&uot; said Chorey. &uot;I was a founding father for them because they lost their charter and a group of my friends and I got together to get them re-chartered. Cheerleading really kept me busy up until my fourth year and in that year, I was elected a trustee for the class of 2003. We did a lot of fund raising and we’ll be in charge of reunions for the next couple of years.&uot;

While Chorey was a strong leader at U.Va., he found that he wasn’t meant to lead in the field of sports. He did find a way, however, to become involved in athletics at the university.

&uot;I’d always loved U.Va. sports and wanted to play, but when I graduated from high school, I realized that it wasn’t to be,&uot; said Chorey. &uot;I started in sports medicine and that wasn’t for me. There were some cheerleaders, all girls, in there and they encouraged me to try it out. I had a great time traveling with the team and truly enjoyed it. Now, I’m looking forward to a great future, wherever God leads me. Dad always led us to love the Lord and that’s what I truly admire about my dad… he incorporates his Christian walk with his job. That’s one reason why I want to be in real estate… I can walk that same walk in my career.&uot;

Name? Billy Chorey Jr.

Age? 22

Hometown? Suffolk, Va.

Family? Mom and Dad, Gloria and Billy Sr. and one sister, Kendall, who attends Nansemond-Suffolk Academy.

Education? Nansemond-Suffolk Academy K-12, BA in political Science from the University of Virginia

Career/occupation? Real estate salesperson at Chorey & Associates Realty, Ltd.

Volunteer activities? Young Life

Favorite thing about Suffolk? The small town feel, where people know you by name.

Describe your vision of downtown Suffolk five years from now? With the downtown residential and historical renewal projects already underway I am excited to see more people moving towards downtown. I believe that this will create an area that is pedestrian friendly and encourage renewal in the business community in that area. With these improvements, I can envision positive social and economic changes by encouraging people to come downtown to shop rather than going to other cities in the area.

Why did you pursue your chosen career? I love to work with people and I have been blessed with the opportunity to work with my father, and the real estate profession allows me both of those privileges. I am also planning on going back to school in the next few years, and working in the real estate market will help me gain experience that I hope will help me if I go back to get an MBA.

Favorite thing about your job? Being able to interact with people every day and the feeling that comes from helping them find a home.

Least favorite thing about your job? So far I love it!

What accomplishments are you proudest of? I have certainly been blessed, I graduated from The University of Virginia and was given the opportunity to be actively involved in athletics there, and I was also chosen to serve as a class of 2003 trustee!

Who or what motivates and inspires you? My dad really inspires me in a lot of ways; I hope to model my life after him. He has been a strong Christian and incorporated that into his career, which I truly admire. I look up to him not only as my father, but also as my best friend, which I hope to be able to do for my own kids some day.

Favorite way to spend free time? Without a doubt, surfing in the summer, and snowboarding in the winter. I’m excited about being around this fall during peak surf season.

What words of wisdom would you like to share with others? I think a lot of people, myself included, need to slow down in life, and look at the &uot;big picture.&uot; It’s too easy to get wrapped up in the little things. God has a special plan for our lives and its great to be able to rest in that.

What ingredients are in the recipe for a good life? A relationship with Christ, family, and friends.

We all have our 15 minutes of fame in this life. How would you spend your time in the spotlight? Well, I’d really like to be in UVA quarterback Matt Schaub’s shoes on Nov. 29 this year when we beat VPI!

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? I think I would like to be a little less reserved, and a little more spontaneous… but I’m working on that!