Get to know me

In what ways do you participate in the arts in Fort Dodge?

I’m mostly affiliated with the performing arts here! When I previously attended Pocahontas Area High School, I played as Sebastian in their production of The Little Mermaid Jr. After transferring to Fort Dodge High School, I played as Greta in FDSH’s fall play, Quirk of Fate. I also participated in Group Speech for the musical theater category; we did the 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, and I was Marcy Park. I’m currently involved in FDSH’s musical Anastasia, and I am overjoyed to say I’m playing the role of Anya! On top of that, I am a part of the Voce Lyrica and Cantabile choirs, and individual speech for the Prose category, which I made all-state for!! I love visual, literary, and media arts, literally ANY form of art too, though I explore those on my own. :)

What do you most enjoy about music?

I most enjoy the way music makes me feel. It makes me think. There are certain parts of music that itch my brain just right, and it’s what draws me into repeating songs over, and over, and over, and over, and over…you get the idea. It’s hard to put into words just how much I GENUINELY enjoy music.

What have you learned from being involved in musical productions?

I’ve learned a lot! I guess the one thing I’ve learned the most (in the theater sense) is that I am definitely more capable than I thought. I had (and still have) a lot of doubt in my abilities as a performer, a singer, and a dancer, but being a part of musical productions allowed me to prove to myself that I was (and AM) good enough. On a deeper level though, I learned how to be more of a person. More…myself if you will. It sounds a little funny to say since in musicals the point is NOT to be yourself, right? True, but I’ve always kept this in mind: “To play a character, you have to know how to play yourself first.” This quote is from me. I’m so inspirational! Although after a quick Google search, I found that Johnny Depp is more of a genius than I am. Here’s his quote: “With any part you play, there is a certain amount of YOURSELF in it. There has to be, otherwise it’s just not acting. IT'S LYING.” Chef’s kiss right there.

What are your plans after high school?

Well, I definitely plan to go to college… somewhere! And I certainly plan to major in… something! I’m torn between pursuing my passion for the arts, and aiming for something that people consider more worthwhile and reliable. I absolutely understand the risks of doing what makes me happy, and of course I get the whole “suck it up, settle for what will make you MONEY” and the “theater can be a HOBBY” mentality, but “settling” isn’t for me. My ambitions are pretty grand, and I have yet to figure out how I’m going to start what I want to do, so YES I do have backup plans (not in fast food). But hey! If you ever DO find me working in fast food (Let’s say…McDonald’s) 40 years from now, then I guess that gives you the right to say, “I told you so.”

What is your favorite musical and why?

O-K-L-A-H-O-M-A. Oklahoma! Yeow! While it’s not everyone’s first choice for a favorite musical, it is MINE. First off, I’m a sucker for ANYTHING western related, and I find the entirety of the Oklahoma show so charming, ESPECIALLY the Dream Ballet sequence; it’s so unique, innovative, and utterly genius in my eyes. I adore the dynamic between Curley and Laurey, and even Laurey and Jud. I’m dying to witness this show being performed live by someone, ANYONE one day. Hugh Jackman was phenomenal on YouTube though, don’t get me wrong!

If you could play any part in a musical, who would you play and why?

Now I haven’t watched a ton of musicals, so my answer may be somewhat basic, BUT Lydia from Beetlejuice and Christine Daaé from The Phantom of the Opera are my top choices. The WHY is simply wanting to play the leading lady roles of iconic musicals, who doesn’t? To be different, I’ll alter the question a little: If I could play any part in a musical that is NOT considered a lead, who would I play? See, I would LOVE to play as Star-To-Be from Annie or Maria Reynolds from Hamilton. These featured parts have fabulous solo parts in their respective songs, and I’d like the opportunity to perform as them someday.

Walk us through your typical school day.

TYPICALLY I’m a pretty standard person, and TYPICALLY school is somewhat boring. In any case, I’ll try to make this sound somewhat exciting? I’ll vaguely tell you about ALL of my classes from the year!

1st Period - All year round I’ve had Cantabile as my first period! Going into 2nd trimester though, Ms. Wankum invited me to join the Voce Lyrica choir which I HAPPILY accepted because I was NOT used to having vocal music every other day.

2nd Period - 1st trimester this was Algebra 2, 2nd trimester it was a PLTW engineering class, and now for 3rd trimester it’s a business and entrepreneurship class! 2nd trimester was definitely the most fun out of the three, you had to be there to see why honestly. I definitely had the most laughs in this class hands down.

3rd Period - For 1st and 2nd trimester I had Honors English with Mrs. Adams. Super tough to manage all the work she throws at you, but it IS possible to achieve a solid ‘A’ in her class. Right now in 3rd trimester, I’m finishing out Algebra 2! Our class is a bit confused over how exponents work, but we’re getting there.

4th period - American History for 1st and 2nd trimester, and now finishing out Biology for 3rd! I never really enjoyed history or any science related classes, so I was really going through the motions whenever I entered these classrooms. The teachers are great, if only the material could sound somewhat intriguing!

5th period - What used to be Theater Performance and Biology is now Art Studio! I love having a chill class to end the day with. Especially now since I have musical rehearsals to worry about after school!

What other activities are you involved in?

I’m not involved in too much more than what I’ve already mentioned above. Although, a couple of very persuasive individuals want me to consider being a manager for Cross Country as well as joining Band. At home, I ATTEMPT to teach myself piano? I can play Pop Goes the Weasel flawlessly. When I’m free of doing anything though, I’m playing whatever video game I feel like playing on my Xbox. Currently, I’m going through a series of games called Gears of War; I’m trying to beat the Campaign story modes on the hardest difficulty by myself. To avoid geeking out (as well as bragging about how good I think I am at video games) I’m going to stop here.

Who do you look up to and why?

Who do I look up to? I would have to say myself. Before you think of me a N a R c i s S i s T, I IMPLORE you to allow me to explain WHY. There are obviously people out there who have shaped me into who I am, and I couldn’t be more blessed to have encountered them in my life. I hold a strong respect for my parents, and I value all the teachers I have a close bond to. For a long time though, I didn’t love myself. I couldn’t when I took every small thing to heart. However, that is improving. I am improving. I think that switch in mentality happened when I could finally envision myself in a future I was happy in. I look up to who I am now compared to who I was a few years ago. I also look up to who I’m going to be. Undoubtedly, there are some things that will never change, and I’ll always have certain feelings toward myself, but I’m proud to still be here. :)

What makes you happy?

I find myself to be happiest when I fall asleep at night and start to dream. It offers at least SOME thrill on boring days although if you’re asking what makes me happy in REAL LIFE then I GUESS I will mention that nothing makes me squeal more than my little shih tzu, Goldie. My dog makes me VERY happy. My mood improves like ten times just by hearing his little sneezes, and his little face, and his big eyes… his barking is really annoying though. He’s not quite as obsessed with me as I am with him, but I think he knows I love him. On a different note, opportunities like being a Shining Star feature for the Fort Dodge Fine Arts Association is what REALLY motivates me to keep doing what I’m doing because being noticed this way seriously seriously seriously makes me so happy :) Thanks so much for reading and getting to know me!