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My amazing teachers as I progressed through my H.S theatre education are my biggest influences. Not only did they give me the opportunities to grow and take on leadership roles, but also equipped me with the technical skills it takes to pursue this into college and beyond. It was an interesting dynamic to work with directors who were also your teachers, but it also allowed them to direct with my learning process in mind.

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Playing a leading role my senior year of H.S was what solidified that this was a career I wanted to pursue. I really started to fall in love with the process.

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My current voice teacher challenges my artistry weekly. She pushes me outside of my comfort zone and go beyond what is "muscle memory" to me. She doesn't allow me to settle for generic/baseline storytelling. Her mastery in nearly every style of music is inspiring to my craft as a musician and something that pushes me to get better every lesson. She has influenced my process as an artist and how I approach text.

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I sang "At Last" by Etta James at my sisters wedding, and was nervous to execute it because it was so different than the genre I typically sing in. But, my voice teacher played a pivotal role in the performance and execution of this. I take the skills she allowed me to hone and use them on every song I work on now.

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Something that I am currently inspired by is the practice of Hot Yoga. I have recently been pondering how its practices can be incorporated into my work. What I've recently been gathering from it is the importance of breath and sustainability in movement. It has totally recalibrated my mental stamina and improved physical strength. Both important for a career in performance. I am inspired by the difficulty of the movement, but also the idea that with each time I practice it gets a little bit easier. Which is such a rewarding feeling, I still fully haven't fleshed out how I want it to fully inspire my work as an artist but I am excited to explore it more.

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CorePower Yoga is where I have recently begun my practice of Hot Yoga

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A specific person I am inspired is Reneé Rapp. I have been following her career since she won the Jimmy Awards in 2018, and I have watched her masterfully grow her career. To branch into all aspects of the performing arts industry is extraordinarily impressive and inspiring. To perform as a principal in a hit Broadway musical, to then transition to a hit solo pop artist, AND work heavily in Television and Film is no small feat. It goes to show having a successful career in this industry is much easier if your skilled in many aspects and not a one trick pony.

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How an artist responds to criticism and feedback I think is a key part of what makes them successful in their craft or not, especially in the performing arts. While there is nuance to this, so much of working as an actor is aligning your skills with the directors vision and taking notes and feedback and being able to apply that promptly. I am always working towards making bolder/better choices and also allowing myself to be refined by a director and letting that direction stick. Not something they have to keep reminding me of. It is easy to take critique personally, since our art feels so personal. I think this is a skill I have always excelled at in my artistry but I want to push myself this semester to be more in collaboration with my directors (if that environment feels safe enough to do so) because I feel sometime I have a tendency to be a "yes man."

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I thought this visual demonstrated the positive feedback loop we had talked about when discussing the podcast.

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Putting your work out there to be judged can be scary especially since it's usually in the hands of someone who doesn't know you at all. But, I believe that is where the most growth can happen. My voice teacher pushed me to submit my work in a national singing competition, which I had never done before. I was nervous to have my work scored by judges. I will share the feedback they gave me. It turned out to be one: extremely encouraging, but also thoughtful and helped me instigate growth. Another set of ears besides my teacher was able to listen and it made me a better performer and singer in turn. It goes to show that even though getting "critiqued" is extremely vulnerable, it is in those moments we find the most growth.

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My family is the first that comes to mind when I hear the word roots. I have always taken identity in having a big family, but also being the youngest in the entirety of the family. I am the youngest of 4 siblings and the youngest 23 cousins. This has definitely been influential in personality and has made me a bit feistier I think. When it came to defending myself against my older brother, I was not afraid. My parents are my superheroes and they have done everything in their power to support my dreams to pursue a career in acting. Like driving a car from Chicago all the way down to Austin so I could drive to a from rehearsals for a show I did this summer. Family is so important to me and I wouldn't have even a sliver of the opportunities I do without them.

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Ever since coming to UT, I feel like so much of my identity has been placed in the fact that I am not from Texas. I was born and raised in the suburbs of Chicago and have realized how much that has contributed to who I am than I would've had I attended a school in-state. I find that my experience with H.S theatre was much different from those who attended Texas High Schools. Growing up in Chicago allowed me a lot of access to professional theatre and had I not grown up where I did, I don't think it would be likely that I would be pursuing theatre. I hope to move back after I graduate and start pursuing professional work there.

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My ultimate dream would be to perform on Broadway, and my ultimate ultimate dream would be to originate a role on Broadway. I had fully intended to pursue a B.F.A in MT in college but wanted to expand my horizons and explore the field of theatre in more broad terms. I haven't stopped training in dance and voice and pursue professional musical theatre work here in Austin. I would love to take on the challenge of performing a show 8x a week and I would also love to challenge of starting a character from scratch. I think it would be so cool be the beginnings of a project. I know this is not an easy goal, but as of now I focus on honing my skills and growing my network as an actor.

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A smaller goal I have for this year is to get cast in a musical in Austin this year. Whether it be with the companies I worked with last year or a completely new one. I am always looking to build on and grow new/old connections. I am currently in auditions for a show and plan to potentially stay in ATX this summer and do a show then. I also wouldn't be opposed to working in Chicago this summer, it is a little bit more difficult not being local there 75% of the year and trying to coordinate auditions. But, since I do plan to move there after graduation it would be a good time to start making connections over there. My main goal for this year is to work professionally whether that be in Austin or somewhere else.