Theatre.    

In my first semester at Peddie, I was cast as Fiona in the Freshman Musical Shrek. Though I had theater experience before, this was my first time stepping into a lead role in a completely new community. At a time when I was still learning names and navigating unfamiliar hallways, I found myself building something real on stage—with people I barely knew, but would soon laugh, fail, and grow with. Playing Fiona—a character both outrageous and sincere—helped me ground myself in presence, humor, and risk. That show didn't mark my start in theater, but it did mark the moment I began to feel at home through it.     

After performing in Peddie's Freshman Musical early in my first year, I auditioned for the school-wide Winter Musical, The Prom —a production typically led by upperclassmen—and was cast as an ensemble member. Though not a lead, the role challenged me to stay present through group choreography, harmonies, and silent acting. I learned that performance isn't always about being seen—it's about building the emotional current beneath the story. Ensemble work taught me to listen, support, and contribute with quiet intention.     

In Mamma Mia!, I returned to the stage as an ensemble member, bringing energy and movement to a story built around music, friendship, and family. Unlike playing a lead role, ensemble performance required me to think beyond my own character and pay attention to the rhythm of the entire production. Through choreography, harmonies, and shared moments onstage, I continued to discover how individual performers can come together to create something larger than themselves.     

In Romeo and Juliet, I experienced theatre from a different perspective—as an assistant stage manager and singer. Rather than focusing on a single character, I became more aware of everything happening around the performers: the timing, transitions, coordination, and countless small decisions that keep a production moving.     

Working behind the scenes taught me that theatre depends as much on the people the audience doesn't see as on those standing in the spotlight. It gave me a deeper appreciation for the collaboration, attentiveness, and trust that make a performance possible.     

In Summer 2025, I completed New York Film Academy's intensive three-week Teen Acting for Film Summer Camp in New York City, training each day at the Battery Park campus under working actors and directors. The fast-paced curriculum immersed me in scene and monologue work, voice and movement, improvisation, and on-camera audition technique, while also casting me in the 3-Week Filmmaking students' short silent films—giving me practical set experience and strengthening my collaborative storytelling skills. The program culminated in a professionally shot and edited monologue and two-hander scene, providing me with a polished digital reel that showcases my growth in nuanced screen performance, articulation, and creative confidence.