When I was a child, I wanted to be an animator. I grew up watching cartoons, my favorite being Cartoon Network's "Adventure Time". I was obsessed with the intricate detail put into the series while still prioritizing an impactful and intriguing plot. I often made stop-motion animations with my toys at home, creating storylines and situations that came to life in my mind. My family are also huge Disney fans, so I grew up watching Disney DVDs frequently. I couldn't get enough of the artwork delicately placed intentionally in each frame. I was taken to Disney World in Orlando, Florida, three times with my parents and sister. Seeing my favorite drawings come to life was a dream come true. I lost my passion for animation throughout middle school but kept my love of the arts. My sister had always loved musical theatre and had done it her whole life. I never wanted our lives to overlap too much and wanted my separate identity outside of being her brother. Little did I know, my purpose was to be in the fine arts. I found my passion for singing and acting when I was in the children's choir for "The Lion King Jr." at the local middle school. I went outside of my comfort zone to audition, and I am eternally grateful that I pushed my mental barriers. I continued theatre throughout middle school, doing two plays and one musical. When my 7th grade was cut short due to COVID, I lost my passion. The middle school theatre program canceled the spring musical and ultimately did not return for the regular two productions the next year. I had a massive break from theatre, and it only reinforced my drive for the stage. I was hesitant to come back to theatre freshman year of high school, but I knew I had to be back somehow. I originally planned to do tech crew for the fall musical but decided to audition instead. I got a supporting role in the show and had the opportunity to sing a duet with one of my favorite cast mates. I got to explore tap dance, which was unorthodox to anything I had ever done. I was determined to continue singing and acting throughout high school, and got cast as Cogsworth in "Beauty and the Beast" that spring. I was nominated for one of the Wisconsin State Theatre awards for Outstanding Performer in a Supporting Role and won later that year. These moments of success have ignited a fiery passion in my soul that I never want to extinguish. I will be pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre, starting in the fall of 2025. I want to build a career off of my passion and prove to those who are discouraged from pursuing music to take the risk.

My name is Charlie Hannan, and I plan to pursue a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre. I will need financial assistance in many fields, including housing, meal plans, tuition, etcetera. Additionally, during my junior year of college, I will most likely pursue an abroad program in Oslo, Norway. I will need financial assistance for my semester in Norway and all of the usual college expenses. I have been bullied my entire life, mostly because I am overweight. The bullying was at its worst in elementary school, in which my best friend and I were bait for the sharks that were our bullies. He was underweight; I was overweight. Our differences were almost cartoonish. Because of our drastic sizes, we got picked on together by multiple people in our school. Whether it was me being poked in the stomach or my friend being laughed at during football at recess, we were always picked on for our sizes. Our experiences were harrowing, and beyond the name-calling, we thought nothing more of our bullying. As we came back from spring break, we assumed that our bullying would always stay the same, back to the regularly scheduled program. We were both walking out to the hallway, to get our Chromebooks from the traveling cart. We saw our bully out by the cart, and no one else was there as we walked out. We did not think much of it. All we would get was some name-calling or poking at the worst. As my friend grabbed a Chromebook, our bully grabbed my friend by the shoulders and threw him across the hallway, launching him hard on the ground and into the brick wall. In shock, I ran into the classroom to tell our teacher what had happened. Thankfully, that was all that had happened that day. My friend walked away with minor bruises and scrapes, and our bully was sent to the principal's office. This was an anomaly; we had no reason to expect this to happen again. However, one day, as we lined up for school, our main bully was found with a pocket knife in his hand. He was escorted to the office and separated from the class before we could figure out what he had intended to do with the knife. In my 8-year-old mind, I had a gut feeling he intended to use that knife on me or my friend. To this day, I don't know what he was planning to do, but I know I need to utilize my experience to ensure other kids don't share similar experiences. I am now the president of my high school's theatre program and have made efforts to make everyone feel included and safe. Whether it is cyberbullying or in-person bullying, I have set in stone that I will always stand up for people when they have been wronged. No one has the superpower to enjoy everybody's presence, but bullying is a choice. Not only is bullying a choice, but being a bystander is a choice. I strive to make it known to my peers that no matter the situation, there is honor in standing up to bullying and defying from bystanders. Bullying ends lives. My friend's or mine could have been drastically changed that day. My duty as a human being is to stand up for voices that cannot be heard.