As a senior in high school, I remember thinking about how I couldn't wait to get out of there and into the real world so I could learn more about life and myself. Little did I know that some of my greatest life lessons I had learned from my very own high school organization, The Penn-Trafford High School Drama Guild.
If you get rejected once, do not give up.
Rejection was one of the hardest things for me to accept whenever I was in high school until I started the Drama Guild. I was confident I was going to make the cast for my sophomore year musical, "Beauty & The Beast". I ended up not making it and I had to sit and watch all of my best friends enjoy what I loved to do. Being an insecure and awkward high school student, I could have easily given up and not auditioned the following year. The rejection did not stop me. I returned the following year and auditioned again. I ended up making the show my junior year and earning a lead role my senior year. Do not give up on anything you do, keep trying. You will most likely surprise yourself with your potential.
Be a role model in everything you do.
When in the Drama Guild, as you progressed your way through high school, the new members would start to catch onto the behaviors and words that the upperclassmen outlined. This was something I always noticed and kept in mind because I knew that the students younger than me exemplified and mimicked exactly what the upperclassmen did. From that moment, I was motivated to always act as a role model for people because I knew that I was bound to be in a position where younger members would look up to me. I also watch members set a terrible example for younger members and it caused a lot of problems. From that moment, I knew I wanted to always strive to be a role model
Allow constructive criticism to push you to your maximum potential.
I learned this one the hard way. I was rehearsing the song “Sue me” from "Guys and Dolls" as Adelaide. My choreographer was teaching me blocking for a number that had a whole lot of words at a very fast pace. I was getting extremely frustrated because I couldn’t do it perfectly and I was starting to get down on myself and almost gave up. I was on the verge of tears and she stopped me and she said “Do not cry, just do it. I don’t want to see tears, I want to see you do it correctly, let's go. Again.” Typically, I would’ve run out of that theatre bawling my eyes out but I sucked it up and pushed through it. Later, I realized had she not been hard on me, the number wouldn’t have been as amazing as it was and I would’ve never learned to push myself that hard ever. That memory has stuck with me until now and I always remember it when I am feeling discouraged.
Appreciate what you have when you have it.
This is hard to do and we hear it referenced a lot but I would challenge readers to when they are exercising their passion, or really just feeling genuinely happy at a moment in time, to just stand there and say to yourself “ Wow, this is awesome,” and just let yourself be in that moment for a bit. I have never missed something so much in my life than the Drama Guild. I took it for granted and never realized how truly happy a high school organization could make me. Now, with every moment of happiness I experience, I try to keep a little reminder to be thankful and grateful for that moment.
I still do theatre to this day and continually grow as a person through my passion. Whether it’s a sports team, a charity organization, a drama club, or anything in your life that has made you happy, I challenge you to sit down and think about some major life lessons that your passion has taught you. Being reflective can not only help you be appreciative and reminisce on the memories, but it can also help you grow as an individual.
