I am an 18 year old senior in high school from Washington DC. I was born and raised here and love this city with all my heart. Growing up in DC, I have had many extraordinary opportunities that have shaped who I am as an individual. DC has an amazing theater scene, which provides student and child discounts, allowing me to discover how theater can be used to create social change, be inspired as an artist, and is the main drive for me pursuing theater performance in college. History has always fascinated me, and DC is absolutely rich with cultural and political history at every turn. I was lucky enough to live in a historical neighborhood, with so many things to learn about the past right at my own doorstep. At school, I am a part of our student-produced news show, and am the inaugural director of social media, as well as the executive producer and creator of our Instagram news show, hitting thousands of views. I participate in theater at school, as the first ever president, and am a member of our Model UN club, where I have represented my school at several local and national conferences. I am a member of the Career Program Student Council, where we represent the International Baccalaureate Career Program students, advocating for the presence of vocational. career and technical education in our school. One of my favorite parts of DC, however, is our public library system. Growing up, I practically lived in the children's section of my neighborhood branch. I tested the limits to how many books one could check out at one time. I tested my mom's patience to how long she could bear to wait for me to stop browsing and reading. It expanded my love of reading, and in a world of increasing technology use, my parents were for sure glad for it. If I had to create a charity, it would definitely be something with literacy outreach. DC has a struggling literacy rate, and so many communities are under-served. I would create a program in which we would help bring awareness and access to the wealth of literature and resources that are in the city. There would be book drives, donations, support for students (and parents!) who have English as their second language and struggle to read, help for immigrant families who want to help their kids thrive in school. Volunteers would be tutors, advocates, and fundraisers, supporting the local need to increase the city's literacy rate. Hopefully, at some point, I would even get the opportunity to establish a scholarship for students who used our programs who are now going into college and can't financially support it. Access to a decent education is a human right, and I would do anything in my power to fight for it.

Musical Theatre has a rich history in not just entertainment, but social commentary and protest. For my International Baccalaureate History class, we had to write a paper on any historical topic we wanted. I chose how theater has been used as resistance. Immersing myself in the history of theater and its uses as protest across the world has made me realize how commercialized this industry has become. I think, in our present society, the future of the art form of musical theater will return to its roots. In the past, popular shows such as Hair, Rent, Cabaret, West Side Story, etc, have tackled topics such as facism, racism, homophobia, and delivered anti-war and anti-discrimination themes. However, there are many plays and works of art from the past that aren’t as popular, such as one of my favorite plays, The Island, which discusses the brutality of South African apartheid. As risky topics become less prevalent in commercial theater, as shows need to cater to a broader audience to be able to survive, the roots of theater coming from the morality play seems to disappear. However, seeing shows pop up with similar themes, addressing current issues makes me excited for the future of theater. My favorite composer is Dave Malloy, who not only brings up important issues such as mental health during the pandemic in his newest show Three Houses, and society’s dependence on technology in Octet, but also combines classic literature with modernity and pop culture. The pure artistry and intricate exploration he does in his work inspires nuanced analysis of difficult topics, and inspires me to pursue this style of unique performance While I am aware that the job of an actor, especially in theater, is a business where money comes first, the dreamer in me can’t help but romanticize the art, where there are relevant and topical messages, and meaningful change can be created from the production of the work. The impact and importance of theater can be lost on many artists, but I strongly believe that there can be a world where originality, impact, and accessibility is prioritized and celebrated in our industry. That is what originally drew me to theater, and what I believe can and will draw others to theaters. Collaboration in theater, to me, means begining to put collective effort into work that speaks up against societal injustice, and more perspectives begin to be appreciated and highlighted on Broadway and around the world. Local theater, regional theaters, new works, and unconventional ideas are a part of this future. That is the future of theater that I want to be a part of and contribute to.

When I first told my parents that I wanted to study theater, they were reasonably worried. My mom tried to convince me otherwise, pointing out people who found other jobs. “See, you don’t have to study theater to DO theater! It can just be a hobby!” Now, I love theater more than ever, and I plan to pursue musical theatre performance in college and beyond, however, my parents were unavoidably correct. I realized I become more passionate at the intersection of my interests, rather than just performance. I want to explore the crossroads of theater and its rich cultural history, or its societal impact, providing me new pathways. As I grow, learning more about the world through a theatrical lens fuels me to continue this career that society views as unstable. I hope to continue learning about how theater is essential to human society and development, and prove the people who say to change my dreams wrong. Being able to combine my interests in theatre and journalism and media production allows for my career to change and adapt to where I am in life. I have so many interests I want to explore, goals that I want to achieve. I want to study theater and audition professionally. I want to work as a news anchor and tell local stories. I want to create documentaries about topics and real people that the world should know about. I want to run social media for businesses and public figures as they adapt to this new form of advertising. I want to produce and edit comedy/improv panel shows in LA and London, and be a part of the fight for a new Hollywood and Broadway that fairly compensates its workers and pays residuals adapted for the new world of streaming services. I used to not be able to envision a clear future for myself, but as I’ve grown, I learned what I truly care about and how to intersect those passions. I grew up being considered a "shy kid". When I got older, I was expected to grow out of my discomfort in social situations, but I never did. I never had the right response or tone and I could feel the burning stare when being shoved into a conversation I wasn’t prepared for. As I began to immerse myself in the world of art and theater, I was able to find a space where I suddenly didn't feel the pressure to be what everyone expected me to be. Ironically, this place was on stage, facing crowds of hundreds. On stage, when I'm performing, is the only time I do not feel the eyes of everyone looking at me, and I am confident in what I am doing. Because there is a script and blocking, I don't have to overthink if what I am saying or doing is the "right" thing. I know it is. I can't see a future for myself without theater in it. I love the way that theater is used as resistance, as a way to tell untold stories, and how it gives the silenced a voice. Making art is a risk, and I am only able to take that risk with the assurance of the comfort that it brings me.

I grew up being considered a "shy kid". When I got older, I was expected to grow out of my discomfort in social situations, but I never did. I never had the right response or tone and I could feel the burning stare when being shoved into a conversation I wasn’t prepared for. As I began to immerse myself in the world of art and theater, I was able to find a space where I suddenly didn't feel the pressure to be what everyone expected me to be. Ironically, this place was on stage, facing crowds of hundreds. On stage, when I'm performing, is the only time I do not feel the eyes of everyone looking at me, and I am confident in what I am doing. Because there is a script and blocking, I don't have to overthink if what I am saying or doing is the "right" thing. I know it is. I love the way theater and music can understand me, in the stories and songs and characters that share their most personal experiences and pour their souls out like no one is watching. In that sense, art is my closest friend. I am free to be myself, free to express myself, able to be heard, like I would with another person. Arts education has impacted me, as I no longer felt like I was an outsider. I finally had something that was special to me, where I felt at home and even a leader, something I never thought I could be. Through extracurricular drama clubs at school, and audition-based summer programs, I was able to find a space where I was comfortable enough to grow. I found my closest friends through educational theater. I improved myself as an artist and a human. I got to connect with industry professionals, and was even able to meet some of my middle school heroes. Arts education not only allows students to explore and express their creativity in a safe space, but also allows them to meet people from different backgrounds and diverse perspectives, and connect over the common ground of art. Art makes learning and adjusting to new ideas more digestible, and ultimately helped me have a deeper, more profound understanding of the world, and greater empathy towards others. Making art is a risk, and I am only able to take that risk with the assurance of the comfort that it brings me and the security I have in my spaces of education.

When I met Ms. Porter for the first time in 9th grade, I was just following my friends. I knew I was interested in making videos, and wanted to learn more, so I signed up for her Intro to Video Production class. I didn’t know that just two years later, I would be the executive producer of a social media show and a student journalist, working with PBS, Maryland Public Television, and getting interviews with my idols. I didn’t expect to fall in love with journalism, but being Ms. Porter's student fostered my existing interest and helped it flourish into a passion that I am determined to chase into my future. If you were to go into our classroom now, you would see half of the room filled with plastic tables and chairs set up for editing and workspace. This side, the classroom side, has a wall of whiteboards, usually with scribblings of episode plans and notes of who has which hard drive or computer. There are the teacher desks: Ms. Porter’s, covered in notes of appreciation from students, and snacks for us in the drawers, and Mr. Diamond’s, who is usually sitting at it, editing a podcast. In the back, there’s the soundbooth, padded for audio recording and voiceovers. The other half of the room is our studio, bright lights and the camera set up with a teleprompter, an anchor desk in the center, embellished with our logo. On the wall is a brick backdrop with our flag, and next to it is our locked equipment closet, with all our cameras. It wasn’t always like this, though. In the inception of Dragon TV, our student-run news show, there was no anchor desk, we recorded on our phones and edited on iMovie with no microphones, wherever we could find a quiet space. This room has grown and changed alongside me, and has developed to support me and my needs throughout high school, all because of the work Ms. Porter put in to give us, her students, the best experience she can, in hopes of helping kids find a passion for telling timely, important stories. Ms. Porter's room is one of the only rooms at school where I feel fully at peace, not only because it is a simulation of my hopeful future, but because of the people. Ms. Porter and my classmates have made me feel at ease and included, and there’s an innate sense of community when you walk into her room, which is so rare to feel in such a large school. Her students love her, and for good reason. Many call her "Mother Porter", as she advocates for her students, respects everyone who walks into her room, and truly cares about them. Compared to the other high school programs who we encounter at conventions, our program is tiny. Many schools have a whole suite of rooms, and technology far more expensive and advanced than what we have, but spending 3 years working with Ms. Porter has shown me that you get what you put into your work. You can still make amazing things that you’re proud of even if you don’t have the newest, most expansive studio. Her room has held many tears, gossip sessions, solitary lunches, and late afterschool editing periods. Without the comfort and support that Ms. Porter brought me, I never would be where I am today, have the friends I have, or be able to see a future for myself that I am excited about.