UC San Diego

It was in my first year here, as I spent a dinner break concerned about how I could be “good” in my evening rehearsal, that I made a commitment to stand in the face of what scares me and walk straight towards the beast. It was a challenge I could never live up to before UCSD, where the pressure to survive had created a human and actor that lived safely. But on this evening, I looked at Galbraith and saw an opportunity to take the leaps I have always craved. My hope was that by being bold and brave in these halls, I could transform into the human I wished to be outside the building.

The more I challenged myself to make choices that scared me, the more joy I found in the leap. Yes, I was often missing the mark but I was also reaching new glorious heights.

If existing in the uncomfortable was the barometer for this new way of life, then there was no greater test then that of MOVERS AND SHAKERS. I felt sick to my stomach every day in rehearsal. However, three years in, I knew I had solid training as my foundation and two years of practice in being brave.

I could not have acted in MOVERS AND SHAKERS three years ago. The training that I have received, as well as the type of actor I have tricked myself into becoming, has created the type of artist and human I always hoped to be.