Do we ever really know what we want to do with our lives? We get one life, and with mine, I was incredibly sure I wanted to be a musical actor. I did my first musical in sixth grade, and I was hooked. I did a musical every year, with the exception of the covid years, and built up my resume. I felt like a real star. I auditioned for 30 colleges when the time came, and I ended up getting into Long Island University Post Campus as an acting major. Then, I went to a talk by one of the professors and he said that colleges look for students who take initiative. I decided that’s what I needed to do, and I emailed him and asked if he could get me into the musical theatre major. He did! I was ecstatic and ended up choosing LIU as my college. The more I studied musical theatre, the more I realized that I it just wasn’t my thing. Where would I go from here? I couldn’t just give up on my musical theatre dream, could I? I trudged along, and in my trudging, I decided to take a directing class. It was like something clicked. My love for the theatre was renewed! I still had a problem: I was a musical theatre major. LIU doesn’t have a directing major. I had an identity crisis this summer and emailed my directing professor to see if I should transfer. He said no, and that I could make opportunities for myself at LIU. I switched from musical theatre back to acting to free up room in my schedule, and set forth on my new path. This fall, I am assistant directing “Men on Boats” for the mainstage season. In February, I will be directing a concert with selections from the musical “Grease.” I plan on finishing my acting degree at LIU and then getting my MFA somewhere else in directing. Do we really ever know what we want to do with our lives? I certainly thought I did, but now I’m much happier taking it in a different direction. I don’t think I’ll ever leave the theatre, because it’s my home, but I will bounce around within it to find my niche. I will use that niche to create theatre that inspires others while using actors as my medium. I want to make marginalized identities feel heard. I want those who don’t know what they are doing with their lives to feel at peace, because once you find your way, life can be magical.