“An eye for an eye will leave the whole world blind.”- Gandhi Growing up in a family full of different religions and races shaped my viewpoint of the world. In my grandmother‘s family house, as my uncle played the trumpet, I innocently enjoyed family time with my mixed-race cousins, Christian, Alex, Ryan, Mila, and Kayla. As a child, I was blissfully unaware of societal prejudices about race; to me, our differences were irrelevant.. I was privileged enough to have this exposure that would prepare me for the harsh truth of the outside world. As I grew older, however, my perspective began to shift. My cousins, once beloved playmates, started to seem like outsiders who could never fully understand my daily experiences as an African-American teenager. Conversely, I realized I would never fully grasp their experiences either—unless I made an effort to understand them. Despite feeling like a stranger to my cousins at times, I now see them not as outliers but as family. Now as a 17-year-old, aspiring theater major, my personal mission lies in the childhood I shared with my cousins. I wish to spread the joy of unbiased cross-cultural interactions while exploring the lives of those different from me. I was recently a part of the Palefsky Collision Project at the Alliance Theater in Atlanta where we displayed different political views of today’s generation. The production we created challenged different outlooks surrounding the upcoming election and progressive solutions for today’s times. During this experience, I found myself sharing my view more because of the diverse and accepting atmosphere. It is productions like this I wish to continue to be a part of as they spark conversations that explore the unknowns between everyday people. These unknowns can bring us closer together as human beings rather than just races, cultures, and genders. The same jubilee that I felt as a child should be an everyday practice to not only keep us sane as humans but connected as people. With this vision in mind, I aim to open a Performing Arts Academy for teens wishing to develop their theatrical skills, regardless of their background. If more young people were exposed to diverse topics and individuals early in life, the world would be less divided and more understanding. The same opportunity was given to me at The University of North Carolina School of Arts Drama Conservatory. As I learned different acting and musical techniques, I was also able to peek inside the lives of those who have different social experiences than me. The different beliefs and values I was exposed to made me explore the boundaries I set within myself. The connections I made with people from diverse backgrounds highlighted how much of the world I had been missing within my own bubble. My goal is to create an environment that fosters relationships and teaches students that the world is boundless when we transcend harmful barriers. Through my day-to-day life, I try to step back into the same Chloe who would play with her cousins in the dirt of Augusta, Georgia. When interacting with my cousins now, I make an effort to see them as they are today, rather than merely as they were in the past. As my cousin Kayla transitions to Terrence, I hope to be a role model who shows him that a more accepting and connected world is not only possible but achievable. “An eye for an eye will leave the whole world blind.”- Gandhi

“An eye for an eye will leave the whole world blind.”- Gandhi Growing up in a family full of different religions and races shaped my viewpoint of the world. In my grandmother‘s family house, as my uncle played the trumpet, I innocently enjoyed family time with my mixed-race cousins, Christian, Alex, Ryan, Mila, and Kayla. As a child, I was not privy to the societal constraints of color, so it did not matter to me. I was privileged enough to have this exposure that would prepare me for the harsh truth of the outside world. I would love to say that my view of my cousins stayed the same. But as I grew and changed, so did my mindset. My little cousins turned into outsiders who would never understand the things I go through day-to-day as an African-American teenager, soon to be an adult. But I also realized that I wouldn’t understand their experiences either. Unless I tried. Now as a 17-year-old, rising theater major, my personal mission lies in the childhood I shared with my cousins. I wish to spread the joy of unbiased cross-cultural interactions while exploring the lives of those different from me. I was recently a part of the Palefsky Collision Project at the Alliance Theater in Atlanta where we displayed different political views of today’s generation. It is pieces like this I wish to continue to be a part of as they spark conversations that explore the unknowns between everyday people. These unknowns can bring us closer together as human beings rather than just races, cultures, and genders. The same jubilee that I felt as a child should be an everyday practice to not only keep us sane as humans but connected as people. With the same idea in mind, I want to open my own Performing Arts Academy for all teens wishing to expand their theatrical abilities, no matter where they come from. If more people from the early stages of their lives were exposed to more topics and people, the world would be less hateful and divided. The same opportunity was given to me at The University of North Carolina School of Arts Drama Conservatory. As I learned different acting and musical techniques, I was also able to peek inside the lives of those who have different social experiences than me. The different beliefs and values I was exposed to made me explore the boundaries I set within myself. The bonds I created with the rainbow of people I met, further opened my eyes to how much of the world I was missing in my own bubble. So not only do I want to curate an environment that builds relationships but I wish to teach students that the world is boundless when harmful boundaries are crossed. Through my day-to-day life, I try to step back into the same Chloe who would play with her cousins in the dirt of Augusta, Georgia. And when interacting with my cousins now, I try to not only see them as I did then but as who they are now. As my cousin Kayla transitions to Terrence, I hope to be a role model that allows him to see that the future can be a more accepting and connected world. “An eye for an eye will leave the whole world blind.”- Gandhi

The Princess And The Frog musical movie was a monumental experience for me as a child. I watched this movie repeatedly, memorizing every dance, song, and line. At the tender age of three, it gave me a chance to sing and act for others on the stages of family reunions and my grandmother's event space. Singing and acting for others gave me joy, and it gave others joy, too. In less than ten years, the pandemic would take over the world, leaving me at home to figure out what to do with the remainder of seventh grade. But that movie saved me. In the early days of lockdown, a good friend and I recited each and every word of the movie, from start to finish, to pass the time. As a young child, the movie made me happy; as a preteen, it gave me relief and distraction during a tumultuous time. That is when I learned the power of theater arts. When first discovering my passion for theatre, I drew my love for performing from blueprints that lie within movies such as The Princess And The Frog. As I have grown as a performer, I have learned to fuel my drive with my performances and goals. I no longer look for outside sources of passion but within myself and my craft. My love of theatre is now rooted in the feelings that I cultivate within my audience. My reason for choosing theatre and continuing to choose it is not one of self desire, but the desire to provide unique and possibly life-changing productions for diverse audiences. In this lies my purpose of performance: to challenge outlooks and narratives that constrain creativity and withhold opportunities from those who seek them. I believe that theatrical performances or any liberal art forms of expression should be readily available to all forms of viewers, no matter race or gender. A continuous cycle I find within performance training is the disparity of opportunities for youth and adults who wish to pursue the arts, in marginalized groups to be more specific. As I grow my performing arts career, I am determined to open a Performing Arts Academy for adolescent teens who have begun their performance careers or wish to begin them. I believe it is essential for young performers to grow in a progressive learning environment that caters to their creative needs. I have felt the impact of programs such as this and want to implement the same wisdom in future performers. In all my performances, I want my audience to leave with a sentiment unfelt within them before. A sentiment that I felt when first watching The Princess And The Frog. A feeling of euphoria and adornment for all things creative and expressive. That is the meaning of impactful theatre and the very theatre I want to portray throughout the entirety of my creative career

The Princess And The Frog musical movie was a monumental experience for me as a child. I watched this movie repeatedly, memorizing every dance, song, and line. At the tender age of three, it gave me a chance to sing and act for others on the stages of family reunions and my grandmother's event space. Singing and acting for others gave me joy, and it gave others joy, too. In less than ten years, the pandemic would take over the world, leaving me at home to figure out what to do with the remainder of seventh grade. But that movie saved me. In the early days of lockdown, a good friend and I recited each and every word of the movie, from start to finish, to pass the time. As a young child, the movie made me happy; as a preteen, it gave me relief and distraction during a tumultuous time. That is when I learned the power of theater arts. When first discovering my passion for musical theatre, I drew my love for performing from blueprints that lie within movies such as The Princess And The Frog. As I have grown as a performer, I have learned to fuel my drive with my performances and goals. I no longer look for outside sources of passion but within myself and my craft. My love of theatre is now rooted in the feelings that I cultivate within my audience. My reason for choosing musical theatre and continuing to choose it is not one of self desire, but the desire to provide unique and possibly life-changing productions for diverse audiences. In this lies my purpose of performance: to challenge outlooks and narratives that constrain creativity and withhold opportunities from those who seek them. I believe that theatrical performances or any liberal art forms of expression should be readily available to all forms of viewers, no matter race or gender. A continuous cycle I find within performance training is the disparity of opportunities for youth and adults who wish to pursue the arts, in marginalized groups to be more specific. As I grow my performing arts career, I am determined to open a Performing Arts Academy for adolescent teens who have begun their performance careers or wish to begin them. I believe it is essential for young performers to grow in a progressive learning environment that caters to their creative needs. I have felt the impact of programs such as this and want to implement the same wisdom in future performers. In all my performances, I want my audience to leave with a sentiment unfelt within them before. A sentiment that I felt when first watching The Princess And The Frog. A feeling of euphoria and adornment for all things creative and expressive. That is the meaning of impactful theatre and the very theatre I want to portray throughout the entirety of my creative career.

The Princess And The Frog musical movie was a monumental experience for me as a child. I watched this movie repeatedly, memorizing every dance, song, and line. At the tender age of three, it gave me a chance to sing and act for others on the stages of family reunions and my grandmother's event space. Singing and acting for others gave me joy, and it gave others joy, too. In less than ten years, the pandemic would take over the world, leaving me at home to figure out what to do with the remainder of seventh grade. But that movie saved me. In the early days of lockdown, a good friend and I recited each and every word of the movie, from start to finish, to pass the time. As a young child, the movie made me happy; as a preteen, it gave me relief and distraction during a tumultuous time. That is when I learned the power of theater arts. When first discovering my passion for theatre, I drew my love for performing from blueprints that lie within movies such as The Princess And The Frog. As I have grown as a performer, I have learned to fuel my drive with my performances and goals. I no longer look for outside sources of passion but within myself and my craft. My love of theatre is now rooted in the feelings that I cultivate within my audience. My reason for choosing theatre and continuing to choose it is not one of self desire, but the desire to provide unique and possibly life-changing productions for diverse audiences. In this lies my purpose of performance: to challenge outlooks and narratives that constrain creativity and withhold opportunities from those who seek them. I believe that theatrical performances or any liberal art forms of expression should be readily available to all forms of viewers, no matter race or gender. A continuous cycle I find within performance training is the disparity of opportunities for youth and adults who wish to pursue the arts, in marginalized groups to be more specific. As I grow my performing arts career, I am determined to open a Performing Arts Academy for adolescent teens who have begun their performance careers or wish to begin them. I believe it is essential for young performers to grow in a progressive learning environment that caters to their creative needs. I have felt the impact of programs such as this and want to implement the same wisdom in future performers. In all my performances, I want my audience to leave with a sentiment unfelt within them before. A sentiment that I felt when first watching The Princess And The Frog. A feeling of euphoria and adornment for all things creative and expressive. That is the meaning of impactful theatre and the very theatre I want to portray throughout the entirety of my creative career

The Princess And The Frog musical movie was a monumental experience for me as a young child. I watched this movie over and over, memorizing every dance, song, and line. At the tender age of three years old, it gave me a chance to sing and act for others on the stages of family reunions and my grandmother's event space. Singing and acting for others gave me joy, and it gave others joy, too. In less 10 years, the pandemic would take over the world, leaving me at home to figure out what to do with the remainder of my seventh grade year. But that movie saved me. In the early days of lock-down, a good friend and I recited each and every word of the movie, from start to finish, to pass the time. As a young child, the movie made me happy; as a preteen, it gave me relief and distraction during a tumultuous time. That is when I learned the power of theater arts. When the world allowed us to return to school, I was in the ninth grade. It was then that I decided to learn more about theater and joined the drama club, where I gained foundational experiences that taught me to shapeshift, explore characters, and influence the hearts of the audience. My future artistic goals start with continuing to hone my crafts through different learning experiences and fieldwork. The reason I choose theatre is to provide unique and life-changing productions for diverse audiences. With my artistry, I hope to change outlooks and change the narrative around performers of color. One of my many goals for the future is to start a Performing Arts Academy for adolescent teens who have begun their performance careers. This Is a goal of mine because I have felt the importance of having a progressive learning environment that caters to my creative needs. With my collective experiences, I hope to leave an imprint in the world of performance. I believe that all people have the ability to accomplish what they truly desire, even though many say that is wishful thinking. I personally have to maintain this mindset to keep me from becoming doubtful. If I were to succumb to everyone else's beliefs, I would simply not be who I am. I'm outside of the thinker, who believes that with enough work and dedication, you can wholeheartedly grasp your intended goals. This drive carries over to my determination to consistently work at the best of my ability, no matter the task. In the performance world, you must always be at the top of your game and be ready for anything thrown at you.