For as long as I can remember I’ve always wanted to be a part of the arts; but as I neared the end of high school, I felt more pressure to pick a career that would make more money. At this time I was always the straight-A kid with a 4.25 GPA. I was constantly told by my dad to “find something realistic”, so when I started college that is exactly what I did. I chose a STEM degree with plans of becoming a meteorologist. I loved the math and science side of my education, but I was always drawn further toward the arts. My love for theatre grew as I spent more time with the Cowley College Theatre; as I was cast in principle roles I enjoyed thoroughly. It wasn’t until spring 2022 that I finally decided meteorology was not what I genuinely wanted to go into; as my grades were slipping and my mental health was on a rapid decline. This cliff was a terrifying feat, but after months of consideration, I gained the courage to make that first jump. My first step to changing my course was changing my major. I decided to complete my Associate of Science, since I only had a few months left of it, and decided to stay for a third year at Cowley College to complete my Associate of Fine Arts. As I was finishing my degree there, I was faced with the question: “Where do I go next?” I searched and searched for a program with the right fit, and I ended up finding one at the University of Wisconsin – Parkside. Unfortunately for me, this was a 12-hour drive from home, and I had to decide if I was ready for that next jump. After some long thought (and many emotional hurdles) I decided to move to Wisconsin for my education. As for my future, I plan to complete my current BFA program and further my ability in the craft of theatre. I would like to pursue theatre professionally and prove to my family that I can make money following my dreams; and hopefully, I can inspire them on the way, showing them they can face their fears and follow their dreams as well. Because of my history in math and science, my left brain has a lot of strength. In the theatre major, this helps in set building. A lot of trial and error goes into measuring set pieces. This is done by measuring the stage, deciding on the depth the set will be built, and then deciding on the measurements of each set piece. You can create scale models of this process, which puts more logic into the process. My right brain assists me in the creative side of theatre. As a performance concentration, I have to put a lot of creativity into my character building process. My favorite part of this process is answering Uta Hagen's 9 questions; this is because if something is not written in the script, I get to make it up for my character. This is a fun way to stretch my brain as I build my character.