It’s always interesting when a small experience can change your life in the most amazing way possible. When I was 11, I got to see my friend perform in her first on stage musical, The Wizard of Oz. I watched the whole show in amazement, and I realized I wanted to try doing that. At the time I was afraid to tell my parents about my new interest, so I just kept it to myself. It wasn’t until I saw Journey’s production of Peter Pan Jr., that I really knew I wanted to try doing theater.
My grandma enrolled me into Journey’s Foundations of Voice class as a birthday present and after the class was over, I knew that this was my thing. Little did I know that for the following five years I would make a lifetime of memories and lifelong friendships. I really wanted to try and be on stage like my friends, but I wasn’t ready at the time, so I started with little things. I applied to be on crew for Little Women in 2018 and I had a blast helping these older kids handle technology to help the show run smoother.
After doing crew for my first six shows, I auditioned for Journey’s production of A Wonderful Life and was cast as the Bank Teller. The reason why I love Journey is because of the community we’ve built together. We’ve built it in such a way that it feels like a family. And you don’t even have to enjoy acting, or dancing, or singing to know that you will find an amazing group of people here at Journey.
I’ve made so many memories here and I will be sad to leave it soon. But I’m going to hold onto these memories and take them with me as I work towards a degree in Film Production. I’ve learned that storytelling is my thing, and I want to take the lessons I’ve learned, and the friendships I’ve made, to help me grow in the areas I want to grow, and to continue to support this amazing program.