Experience

I have always loved theatre. In the theatre classroom, I learned how to embrace my emotions, speak my truth, and cultivate relationships with my peers. My high school theatre director introduced me to spoken word poetry, encouraging me to audition for a slam poetry team she coached. On this team, I learned the power of words and physical embodiment. In the twelfth grade I wrote, “My hair lacks luster, but it is illustrious. / Thick to deflect the subjectivity people put me under. / Black and brown as the richest soil in a garden,” and suddenly, I knew what it meant to love myself despite society telling me I am not worthy of love. I knew then that I wanted to do the same for youth of color. My experiences as a young person in the arts of theatre and slam poetry are the seeds of my academic and professional career. A mature garden takes years to cultivate, and I embrace every season, knowing that I am privileged to work with youth of color in applied theatre projects.