In my school library, surrounded by the comfort of the stacks, I was whisked away to Narnia, Middle-earth, Hogwarts and Alagaesia. I met some of my best friends between the pages of the books, and I learned how to be an inclusive person reading about other countries, cultures and lives. My imagination bloomed as a result. Quite literally I can not conceive of a world without stories because I would not be who I am today without them. They have guided me in becoming a scholar, a storyteller and a musical theatre performer. Over the years, books, films and the theatre have been my faithful companions. I have CVID (Common Variable Immunodeficiency), and while I am receiving monthly infusions of replacement immunoglobulins I read, watch and dream. Growing up I was often sick, and my mother would read to me to wile away the hours and once I could read on my own, I devoured novels by Eoin Colfer, Lemony Snicket and Roald Dahl. These authors fed my imagination and fueled my love of storytelling. To date, I have written plays, short stories, poetry, Dungeons and Dragons campaigns and even a novella. My childhood has naturally led me to wanting to pursue a career in the entertainment industry. I have been writing or on stage for as long as I can remember, and I am now expanding my horizons and exploring directing, producing my own works and the art of Stagecraft. I am hopeful that my college years will allow me to delve further into these realms, provide me the opportunity to complete an internship on Broadway or in television and to study abroad, ideally taking advantage of the BADA London Theatre Program. I have been accepted to Sarah Lawrence College, in Bronxville, New York, right outside of New York City, with the intention of studying the Performing Arts and Playwriting. After careful consideration, I chose Sarah Lawrence due to their “academic model that encourages experimentation, exploration and the constant quest for knowledge.” Sarah Lawrence's open curriculum will allow me to study the Performing Arts and Writing while also exploring Languages, International Studies, Literature and the Sciences. As a writer and performer, being well rounded will allow me to be more inclusive in my art. One of my favorite authors, Neil Gaiman, once said, "Fiction builds empathy", and through my storytelling and performances, I always work to give a voice to those who are quietly battling hidden challenges in the hope that others will gain understanding. One day, I hope to write and direct or act in a production featuring a character with CVID (Common Variable Immunodeficiency), which I have, in order to raise awareness. Empathy is something that is taught and, whether on the stage or on the page, words have the power to educate and even to change long held beliefs. Awareness and compassion are at the heart of the disability rights movement. Without these elements, there is no way forward, and we all must work to educate and mobilize those who are not personally touched by disability and therefore they do not fully understand it. Those of use who are choosing to pursue careers in the arts have the opportunity to reach into the homes and lives of individuals who otherwise would remain uninformed or unaware. Forging words and worlds and then sharing them, may just build compassion and understanding: this is my life’s work. Below is the link to my youtube channel where I share samples of my Stage World. I hope you enjoy. https://www.youtube.com/@CookieGross-1927

I live my life without immunity. Upon hearing this you may think to yourself, are your parents part of the anti-vaccination movement? My answer to you is, no, I had all of my childhood vaccinations. I diligently receive my Flu shot every year. I started getting the Covid vaccine as soon as it became available. Yet when a vaccine titer test is run to measure the level of antibodies in my blood against specific diseases, very few antibodies are present. Not only does my body not build antibodies when I receive vaccines, it naturally hardly builds any at all. I am a scholar, storyteller and performer who has CVID (Common Variable Immunodeficiency), a condition that the Mayo Clinic describes as “an immune system disorder that causes low levels of the proteins in the body that help fight infections. People with CVID have an increased risk of digestive disorders, autoimmune disorders, blood disorders and cancer.” I have had CVID my entire life but nobody knew. They call CVID a Zebra, meaning a rare disease or condition. It comes from the phrase they teach medical students, "When you hear the sound of hooves, think horses, not zebras," to encourage them to look for the more common diagnosis. With me they should have been looking for a Zebra but until I was seventeen those hoofbeats led the doctors around in circles. Growing up I was always sick. I thought that this was just how life was supposed to be. In third grade, some of my teachers even thought I was making it up. As I grew older, I became sicker and started losing weight. In seventh grade, I was sent to a GI doctor and I had my first colonoscopy. They diagnosed me with Celiacs Disease. Yet even after going strictly gluten free the GI issues persisted, my blood sugar kept dropping and I stopped growing. During my junior year in high school, my family was referred to a speciality hospital where one of the doctors, the Head of Immunology, took an interest in me. After some specific blood tests and another colonoscopy, we found that I have the Zebra! I now work with a team of doctors at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, including the one who found the Zebra, and they are helping me to manage it all. Since my body does not produce the immunoglobulins needed to fight disease and infections, I receive monthly IV infusions of replacement immunoglobulins in order to boost my immune system and heal my GI system which is often infected. I can't eat gluten, milk, yogurt, shellfish, nuts or spicy foods because they irritate me. When I was diagnosed. my intestines had lost almost all of their cilia so I was not absorbing much of what I was eating. Now with careful management and after a year of infusions, I have begun gaining some weight and absorbing vitamins and nutrients.CVID is chronic, so I will need to receive infusions and carefully monitor germ exposure my whole life. So here I am, about to be living away from home for the first time. Like all kids this will come with its challenges. I will need to manage my studies, the burden of paying for school, my social life, my performances and as an added bonus, my health. How will I eat safely on campus? How will I manage getting infusions every month? How will I get to my doctor’s appointments? These are all questions I will have to answer but, with the support of my family and my doctors, I will practice intentional resilience and I will succeed. There are days when I have to stop for infusions and then I have to work extra hard to make up for missed classes or rehearsals. Working hard, giving it my all and forging ahead when the chips are down is just the way I have learned to navigate my life. I have high expectations of myself, and when I commit to something I give nothing less than 100%. I have been accepted to Sarah Lawrence College, in Bronxville, New York, right outside of New York City, with the intention of studying the Performing Arts and Playwriting. After careful consideration, I chose Sarah Lawrence due to their “academic model that encourages experimentation, exploration and the constant quest for knowledge.” Sarah Lawrence's open curriculum will allow me to study the Performing Arts and Writing while also exploring Languages, International Studies, Literature and the Sciences. While there I hope to have the opportunity to study abroad. As a writer and performer, being well rounded will allow me to be more inclusive in my art. One of my favorite authors, Neil Gaiman, once said, "Fiction builds empathy", and through my storytelling and performances, I always work to give a voice to those who are quietly battling hidden challenges in the hope that others will gain understanding. One day, I hope to write and direct or act in a production featuring a character with CVID (Common Variable Immunodeficiency), which I have, in order to raise awareness. Empathy is something that is taught and, whether on the stage or on the page, words have the power to educate and even to change long held beliefs. Forging words and worlds and then sharing them, may just build compassion and understanding: this is my life’s work. Sample Stage Works: https://www.youtube.com/@CookieGross-1927

I wipe the sleep from my eyes as I head down the stairs listening for Lori’s voice. It’s early but not as early as it usually is when I have to leave for school. The drive from our new house is over an hour but it was worth it to be able to graduate from Key, where I go on almost a full scholarship. Today, I’ll be missing a full day of classes, a D and D session and rehearsal. Luckily Conner’s running the campaign today so I’ll just join in on Zoom and help him move the plot along. We’re almost at the end of a three-month storyline and just need to wrap it up anyway. Rehearsal is a different story. I’ll need to meet with Mrs. DW one day after school next week to get caught up on blocking and the choreography for Magic Foot, my big number in the spring musical. We’re doing The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, and I’ve been cast as one of the leads, William Barfee. I’d been working with my vocal coach Chloe on my audition song for months so I was thrilled when casting was announced last week, as this would be my last Key performance. I head toward the kitchen, hear Paddington start barking and know that Lori has arrived. Today marks my tenth infusion and Paddington’s greeting of Lori does not last long because he is getting used to her presence. I hate missing a whole day of school for an infusion but I can’t deny that I am feeling substantially better. My blood sugar has not dropped in months and I am able to get through whole rehearsals without stopping to rest. Best of all, mom has chilled out a little and is letting me visit friends without debriefing their families on what I can and can not eat. Having to eat gluten free is a pain but it doesn't have to be the big deal that she makes it out to be. I know it is done out of love but still it makes me uncomfortable. I hate drawing attention to myself and the fact that I have CVID. My dad wanders out of the office, where he’s working, to let Lori in as I stop to grab a glass of juice and a bowl of cereal. I slip into the living room, drop off my food, say a quick hello and run back upstairs. I’ll be hooked up for almost five hours and can go to the bathroom and move around some but I can’t go back upstairs with the IV pole. My phone’s in my pocket and I have my copy of Carmilla, which we are reading for Comp. Lit., but I forgot my Chemistry book and we have a test later this week. While upstairs, I quickly grab the Anime I’m in the middle of, my laptop and, at the last minute, I add an anthology on mushrooms and fungi. The latter I’m using for research purposes. I’ve almost finished writing the opening scene of my latest detective noir and need to decide on the murder weapon. I’m ninety percent sure that it will be the Destroying Angel mushroom but I’ll use some of my time today looking over the options once more. When I return, Lori is transferring the Immunoglobulins from the vials into the IV bag. I hear her happily remark to my father that the dosage has increased so I must have put on some weight. They both make sounds of approval because this is good news. I consider making a joke about going back to watching my weight but decide against it when I see my mother come into the room from the garden with a vase full of daffodils for Lori. Always best to know your audience, I think to myself. After accepting the flowers, Lori turns to me, gesturing for me to take a seat. This is the part I hate the most. Once the IV is in, I am fine. Without a word, my mother moves to my side, and I am grateful for her presence. This process has become routine, Mom takes my hand, I look out of the window at the river and Lori asks about where I am in the college process. I tell her that I have committed to Sarah Lawrence and we all talk about how close I will be to New York City and Broadway. My father jokes that either I will make it big or I will go broke seeing shows. The laughter fades as the medicine begins its journey, mixing with the blood in my veins, giving me the immunity and strength I need to face the world and the next phase of my life.

My school library, where my mother was the librarian, was my home for the first fourteen years of my life. There, surrounded by the comfort of the stacks, I was whisked away to Narnia, Middle-earth, Hogwarts and Alagaesia. I met some of my best friends between the pages, and I learned how to be an inclusive person reading about other countries, cultures and lives. My imagination bloomed as a result. When I was five-years-old, I wrote my first story, and I have not stopped writing from that day on. Quite literally I can not conceive of a world without books because I would not be who I am today without them. They have guided me in becoming a scholar, a storyteller and a musical theatre performer. Over the years, books have been my faithful companions. I have CVID (Common Variable Immunodeficiency), and while I am receiving monthly infusions of replacement immunoglobulins I read. Growing up I was often sick, and my mother would read to me to wile away the hours. Once I could read on my own, I devoured novels by Eoin Colfer, Lemony Snicket and Roald Dahl. These authors fed my imagination and fueled my love of storytelling. To date, I have written plays, short stories, poetry, Dungeons and Dragons campaigns and even a novella. During my high school years, my writing began centering on the supernatural, and I experimented with the sublime, the absurd, the macabre, horror, comedy and suspense. Primarily, I took inspiration from the readings done in my Civilization classes, where literature, history, philosophy, religion and culture are taught in tandem. My works now span the globe and range from Ancient Civilization to Modern Day, and through them I pay homage to some of my best-loved authors and works, showing hints of Stoker, Le Fanu, Shelley, Poe, Lovecraft, Wilde, The Bible and Beowulf. Each piece I write is a work in progress and, as I grow as a writer and as a person, I continue to revise them with new eyes. I have been accepted to Sarah Lawrence College, in Bronxville, New York, right outside of New York City, with the intention of studying Creative Writing and the Performing Arts. After careful consideration, I chose Sarah Lawrence due to their “academic model that encourages experimentation, exploration and the constant quest for knowledge.” Sarah Lawrence's open curriculum will allow me to study the Performing Arts and Writing while also exploring Literature, Languages, International Studies, and the Sciences. While there I also hope to have the opportunity to study abroad. As a writer and performer, being well rounded will allow me to be more inclusive in my art and a more worthwhile contributor to the literary world. One of my favorite authors, Neil Gaiman, once said, "Fiction builds empathy", and through my storytelling and performances, I always work to give a voice to those who are quietly battling hidden challenges in the hope that others will gain understanding. One day, I hope to write a play or novel featuring a character with CVID in order to raise awareness. Empathy is something that is taught and, whether on the stage or on the page, words have the power to educate and even to change long held beliefs. Forging these words and worlds, that just may build compassion and understanding, is my life’s work.

I am a scholar, a storyteller and a musical theatre performer. I take part in five or six shows per year between my school and my local community theatre. Vocal and dance cabaret showcases and student written productions are two of my favorite endeavors. Nothing satisfies me more than going onstage. Always continuing to build upon my repertoire of skills, I take vocal lessons and musical theatre dance intensives. When I am not on stage, I can often be found quietly crafting worlds of my own out of words. At times performing can be a daunting task because I have CVID (Common Variable Immunodeficiency), a condition that the Mayo Clinic describes as "an immune system disorder that causes low levels of the proteins in the body that help fight infections.” Growing up I was always sick. As I grew older it became worse, and I began losing weight. Eventually when I stopped growing my family was referred to a speciality hospital where one of the doctors, the Head of Immunology, took an interest in me and figured out what was wrong. Now I have a team of doctors at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and they are supporting me. Since my body does not produce the immunoglobulins needed to fight disease and infection, I receive a monthly IV infusion of replacement immunoglobulins in order to boost my immune system. During the years leading up to my diagnosis my family incurred substantial debt paying for appointments, tests and procedures. I feel very fortunate that I have been able to attend amazing schools on almost full scholarships. I have worked very hard and am lucky that people have recognized my potential. Now my family and I are trying to figure out how to pay for college. I have been offered a merit scholarship to pay for a portion of the tuition but it will not come close to covering the cost of tuition and room and board. When calculating the SAI (Student Aid Index), the FASFA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) does not take medical bills into consideration. Because of this, my family’s situation is not portrayed accurately. Receiving Gabriel Martin Memorial Annual Scholarship would help me achieve my goals. I have been accepted to Sarah Lawrence College, in Bronxville, New York, right outside of New York City, with the intention of studying the Performing Arts and Playwriting. After careful consideration, I chose Sarah Lawrence due to their “academic model that encourages experimentation, exploration and the constant quest for knowledge.” Sarah Lawrence's open curriculum will allow me to study the Performing Arts and Writing while also exploring Languages, International Studies, Literature and the Sciences. While there I hope to have the opportunity to study abroad. As a writer and performer, being well rounded will allow me to be more inclusive in my art and a worthwhile contributor to the future of American Theatre. One of my favorite authors, Neil Gaiman, once said, "Fiction builds empathy", and through my storytelling and performances, I always work to give a voice to those who are quietly battling hidden challenges in the hope that others will gain understanding. One day, I hope to write and direct or act in a production featuring a character with CVID in order to raise awareness. Empathy is something that is taught and, whether on the stage or on the page, words have the power to educate and even to change long held beliefs. Forging these words and worlds, that just may build compassion and understanding, is my life’s work.

Greetings one and all! My name is Cookie, an aspiring storyteller and performer who already has a plethora of acting, dance and writing experience under their belt. Ever since I was a wee child the arts could never fail to amaze me, leaving me in utter awe. I adore being on stage, whether it be in the three summer musicals produced at my nearby theatre each summer, being in vocal and dance cabarets or in student lead productions at my school. Nothing satisfies me more than going onstage to entertain an audience, whether my role is of the comedic relief or of a more heartfelt nature, and I’m continuing to build upon my repertoire by taking vocal lessons and tap/musical theatre dance classes. It is a daunting task sometimes due to the fact I have CVID, a medical condition that means my body isn’t getting all the protection and nutrients it needs which causes upset stomach and tiredness a lot, yet I always find a way to make sure I can perform as much as I love to! Fortunately for me though I have an infusion once a month to help with my CVID and give me a boost of energy! The theatre has always been a home away from home for me and my safe space. I think that everyone needs a place where they are accepted and loved. Every theatre I have worked with welcomed me with open arms and for that I am grateful. The casts for each show I have been in have become families. When you work for that many hours with a group and share the final product with a audience, there is no way a special bond wouldn't be formed. I work with several community theaters in addition to my school and it is great working with all of the adults and kids. Everyone is so supportive of each other. I hope to be able to continue to do this in college and beyond. As an adult, I want to be able to come back to my community theatre and share my experiences and knowledge. I know I have learned so much for the adults that have offered workshops on dance techniques, costuming, makeup, stage combat and vocals. Whether I end up on Broadway or in my community theatre, I want to be able to share the shows with my fellow cast members and the audience. There is truly nothing like this shared experience. BTW...I am the ginger in the clip and photos below. : ) Thanks for your consideration.