Partner With Us!
New York University
Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development
M.A. Educational Theatre in Colleges and Communities
My first experience at Fullerton College was in spring 2008, when I was 15 years old and still in high school. I took Ron Michaelson’s “Acting for the Camera” class because I didn’t have that opportunity at school and had recently caught the acting bug. That summer I performed in Les Misérables with SRO. Gary Krinke offered me the High School Honor Scholarship after directing me all summer and seeing my work ethic and positive attitude. I started as a full-time student in the fall. I was 16, coming from my sophomore year of high school, and incredibly nervous. I chose to come to FC when I did because I was unhappy in high school and knew I was ready for college. I also wanted to have more opportunities for theatre, as my high school had a very poor program with limited opportunities.
My first semester, I was in Gary’s 120A acting class and quickly became as involved as I could in the theatre department. Over winter break, I participated in the Playwright’s Festival. In the spring, I was the Judges Coordinator for High School Theatre Festival and became a Theatre Arts Ambassador. Aside from theatre, at the end of the semester I was offered a job as the Honors Intern for the Honors Program, of which I was already part of. I was in Footloose with SRO summer 2009. At the start of the fall semester, I was offered the position of “Campus One” for High School Theatre Festival and began the 7-month journey of planning the giant monster of greatness. In the spring, in addition to High School Theatre Festival, I was in two shows through the 120D acting class. I was also named a Woman of Distinction and sprinted from the ceremony barefoot across the quad to perform in a show, then ran back after the show and took group pictures in an apron, rain boots, and grey hair. I received the Bronwyn Dodson Scholarship Award through the theatre department and graduated in May 2010 with two A.A. degrees and a 4.0 GPA. My father, who is on the Board of Trustees for the North Orange County Community College District, presented me with my diploma. I was in two shows in Director’s Festival and Anything Goes with SRO that summer. I came back summer 2011 to perform in Les Misérables one more time with SRO and was a judge at High School Theatre Festival 2012.
After Fullerton, I transferred to USC and graduated with a B.A. in Theatre, minor in Business in May 2012. I am currently at NYU studying Educational Theatre in Colleges and Communities and will receive my M.A. in September 2013.
My time at Fullerton was relatively short, but it truly shaped who I am and allowed me to gain experiences that paved the way for even bigger things once I left. Coming to FC at such a young age, I had a lot to learn about myself and the world around me, in addition to my academic classes. All my teachers at FC were wonderful and taught in a way that made me excited to learn. I can’t express enough gratitude for the opportunities I had specifically in the theatre department, as well. If there was something I wanted to do, the teachers and staff supported me 100%. The leadership experience I got through High School Theatre Festival and Ambassadors allowed me to be a leader at USC and beyond. The skills I learned in my acting classes, SRO, and all the technical classes allowed me to grow as a well-rounded theatre artist. The professionalism the FC theatre department teaches has not gone unnoticed in my work, either.
FC was a time of immense growth for me, and I still say that those were the best years of my life. I was challenged by the work and experiences I had, but always felt incredibly supported and cared for by all my teachers and those around me. I could probably write a book on everything I learned at FC and