Student Blog: A Dream Within a Skyline

“Knick fans, this is not a dream! Your long, long wait has ended! Go ahead and cry!”

These words rang in my head as I lost my breath while the orange and blue skyline came into view. The voices of the best dreamers in the nation sang “New York, New York,” as they realized that they had made it. To them, I was likely just the digital intern who was only a few years older than them, but for me, this moment represented so much more. It meant that I finally made it out of the hometown that I felt trapped in for years. It meant that I was surviving in a city that once felt unmanageable. It meant that I had made it to the point that my younger self could only have dreamed about. Riding on a double decker bus with the Jimmys nominees, admiring the city that I hope to one day call home, reflecting on the moments that brought me to that night is something that I will carry with me forever.

This summer I got the opportunity of a lifetime: to work for the Jimmy Awards. It was truly the summer of impossible dreams coming true. I have been in love with New York for as long as I can remember, and between the Jimmys and the Knicks, my NYC summer was one of the greatest.

I know people are often reluctant to combine the worlds of theater and sports. The fans of each do not always overlap. Yet, for a month, I watched both a team and a show unite a divided world.

The Jimmys are light in a sea of uncertainty. For over a week, the entire team, along with 96 nominees, bunker down at Julliard and are focused on one objective: creating a show that will bring joy to thousands. They understand the impact they have on viewers young and old. I would not describe it as a weight, rather, an acknowledgment that they have an important responsibility. People who have no relation to any of the nominees count down the days until the livestream, and I believe that this is one of the greatest testaments to the unifying power of theater. And what better way to inspire than with the next generation of stars?

Similarly, I watched the Knicks bond a city of strangers. New Yorkers are not known for their friendliness, yet, for a month, moods seemed to brighten. I would walk to work in a Knicks hat and a stranger on the street would yell “Knicks in 5!” at me. Restaurants put out signs encouraging people to gather and cheer on their home team, bakeries released limited edition blue and orange treats, vendors flooded the streets selling their variation of a Knicks t-shirt; people were filled with hope. The underdog team with the short pointguard and the goofy cast of characters somehow took the world by storm. And I want to place emphasis on the word “somehow,” because truly every win was encapsulated with a feeling of shock and disbelief. The city held its breath as their mindset went from “it’s impossible,” to “even if we can make it this far,” to “I think we may have a chance.” For a month, New York embraced the “we” in its culture. And by what can only be described as a series of miracles, our team did it. We did it.

I got to record the reactions of 96 high schoolers when they stepped onto a Broadway stage for the first time. They cried and hugged each other as they realized their dreams were suddenly not as far out of reach as they were merely a few months ago. They looked out into the empty audience which would soon be filled with loved ones they had not seen in over a week, and they saw their future.

There is a moment at the end of every Jimmy Awards opening number after they deliver their iconic line “Welcome to the Jimmy Awards” and hit their final pose. This moment can only be described as pure wonder and awe. There is a reason it never changes; there is something about watching the nominees beaming from ear to ear while trying to catch their breath that evokes a feeling of humanity. It shows every person watching that the people on stage are not simply celebrity figures, they are also high schoolers who starred in their hometown productions and got a chance at a dream because someone saw a spark in them. This moment is the embodiment of magic.

I truly believe that this summer was the most transformative few months of my life. A different version of myself went into the summer than came out. I proved to myself that I was good enough for the role I had been placed in, and my own dream no longer seemed unattainable. I think that being surrounded by successful dreamers undoubtedly helped. I saw a team of dreamers win a championship, I witnessed 96 dreamers make their Broadway debut, and I watched myself, the solo dreamer, prove to herself that she is worthy and capable.

Reflecting on this summer, I remind myself that it is okay to “go ahead and cry,” because though it felt like one, it was “not a dream.” The wait has ended, and the future is bright.