My big brother, Gavin, is in the Coast Guard, and he always seems to come home with a new story to tell. Most of them are funny, but the ones that stick with me the most are from boot camp, because wow, they really do run a tight ship. Gavin told us that anytime someone farted, the drill sergeant would yell “VACUUM!” and all the recruits had to start sucking in air like they were trying to pull all the oxygen out of the room. I completely lost it when he told us that, and it has been a running joke between me and my friends ever since. Another story he told was about how the recruits had to shower in what he called a “conveyor belt of men,” and as they walked through, they were required to yell “SCRUB, SCRUB, SCRUB” the entire time. What gets me the most about these stories is that if anyone was caught doing something as small as smirking, they could be reverted a whole week. I still don’t understand how anyone could go through that without laughing. One of my favorite stories he shared didn’t even come from a phone call, it came in a letter. While he was in boot camp, Gavin secretly started an underground chess club with some of the other recruits. In his letter, he wrote that they only managed to play one game before they were to scared they'd get caught, and that the board he sent me was the one they used. He explained how “every second of our day is monitored,” and that if you even get caught smiling or laughing, you can get in a lot of trouble. Reading that made his funny stories feel more real. It wasn’t just jokes, he was actually living in a place where even small things could get you in trouble. He also wrote that he wasn’t in trouble yet, which made me laugh, but what really stuck with me was the end of the letter. He asked me to send pictures, stamps, drawings, “anything really”, and then said he missed me and couldn’t wait to see me. When I opened the package and saw the chess board he made, I just stared at it for a while. The lines were uneven, and the paper was worn, but that made it better. It was something he made during one of the hardest times of his life, and he chose to give it to me. Even though he didn’t intend for his letter to carry any deep advice, it did. It gave me motivation to keep pushing forward, and it reminded me that no matter how hard life gets, the good moments, both big and small, make it worth it.

Collaboration in technical theatre means bringing together many different skills, personalities, and creative perspectives to create something that no one person could accomplish alone. In theatre, every production depends on trust, communication, and respect between designers, directors, performers, and crew. To me, collaboration is listening, problem solving as a team, and supporting one another. Some of my most inspiring collaborative experiences came through my technical theatre work at Manatee School for the Arts, where I volunteered for over 800 hours across more than 20 productions. As a stage manager and scenic technician, I worked closely with all members of a productions to ensure our shows went as smoothly as possible while looking amazing. These roles` taught me how essential clear communication and mutual respect are in fast-paced creative environments. An experience that inspired me a lot was when we did the production "She Kills Monsters: Young Adventurers Edition" at my high school. I served as the stage manager and the props master, which was insanely stressful and rewarding at the same time. I was honored to be trusted by my department with two major leadership roles, but I was also overwhelmed by the responsibility. These roles meant constant communication, adaptability, and a willingness to step in wherever I was needed. I had to rely on my crew, communicate clearly with performers and directors, and delegate tasks effectively. The show ended up going great and I was rewarded a prop design award by Broadway Stars of the Future. A big responsibility as a stage manager is staying calm and concise to help ease the nerves of your crew. This was something I quickly learned that was necessary when I stage managed my first show, "Little Shop of Horrors", and we had a massive scenic technical difficultly. One of the walls of our flower shop came off its hinges and fell during the show, during this I had to remain calm and call a halt to the show for the safety of everyone on stage. During the brief pause in the show we had to take, we were able to completely reattach the wall and continue the show smoothly. This was probably my most stressful moment in tech and I pride myself on how it was handled. These experiences inspired me to pursue a BFA in Theatre Design and Technology in college and continue volunteering in productions at UWF. Collaboration in my field means creating environments where every role is valued. It is this sense of teamwork and connection that motivates me to continue growing in theatre and contributing to the communities I am apart of.