From the time I was old enough to comprehend what was going on, I loved the theater. I still remember the very first musical I ever saw and I still have the program in my box of memories. Shortly after I fell in love with going to the theater, I decided to try out performing. I took my very first acting class when I was 10-years-old and I was hooked. Soon I also tried out show choir and it didn't take me very long to realize that performing was something I loved. Through summer drama camps and school choir, I had been bitten by the theater bug and it was clear I wasn't going to be cured. Nothing in the world made me happier than being onstage and performing. I was sure that was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.
Unfortunately, the world of theater is always full of competition and some of the most talented people don't ever get their big break. I think the first time I ever really realized that was when I was in high school. My graduating class contained more than a few very talented girls who were a "triple threat." They could truly do it all. I didn't even make it into the cast of a show until my junior year. But I never let that stop me. I used it as motivation to work harder. I took voice lessons and kept myself involved by working backstage. It paid off because my junior year I was cast in both of our productions and even received a callback to read for a lead role.
When it came time to decide where to attend college and what to major in, I instantly declared a major in theater and picked a college with a great theater program. I jumped in by taking a bunch of major related classes and at first I was loving all the theater in my schedule. But I wasn't getting a chance to perform. Not even in student directed one acts, and I wasn't involved in the program at all. I started to become sort of unhappy.
During sophomore year, I took my first mass communications class. After awhile, I was enjoying that class even more than I was enjoying my theater classes. I would always look forward to that class and slowly I started thinking that I should change my major. One day, I got up my courage and went to an adviser and told her I was changing my major. It was incredibly hard, but I felt like that was what I needed to do. I needed to something where I felt like I was going to succeed.
I ended up changing my major to communications with an emphasis in broadcasting. And when I was on my Disney College Program last spring, I ended up figuring out what I want to do once I get my degree. I've always wanted to work for Disney and I've always loved the social media aspect of communications, so I want to work on producing social media content for Disney.
When I ended up changing my major, it was hard not to think I was giving up on my dream, but I have come to realize that I didn't give up on my dream, I simply found a new dream. Theater will always be a part of who I am even if I'm not purusing a career in it.
