Student Blog: Finding Your Cue in the Dark

Throughout my life, I consistently struggled in school. It did not matter the subject, I never seemed to grasp the information that was being taught. Tireless hours of being referred to tutors, psychologists, and therapists was exhausting. Being told that I have multiple learning disabilities impeding my ability to comprehend and retain what I was taught was demotivating for me.  I felt stupid and did not see the point in trying because even when I tried my best, I always failed. 

 I was still nine years old when I was introduced to theater and the first time I performed on a stage was exhilarating.  I was a shy and quiet kid who avoided the spotlight. I attended a theater camp with friends one summer and asked to be placed in the back with no lines.  The director of the camp had a different idea, and gave me the leading role.  Much to my surprise, I loved being on stage.  That was the day I found my voice.  Whether I was singing or dancing, speaking lines or standing to the side, I was hooked.  I wanted to be on stage forever.   I felt confident and alive, something that never happened in the classroom.  

Theater helped me in many amazing ways.  When reading a book would paralyze me, seeing the a play or a musical live on stage would engage me for hours.  Performing in a show and being part of the action was invigorating, and it gave me a renewed sense of confidence in myself that generated ideas that sparked my creativity.  Instead of focusing on the words in black and white print on the page of a book, I could imagine the story coming to life on stage.  It was as if I had been given the keys to my own mind which unlocked the barriers that impeded my ability to comprehend the world around me. 

This passion to succeed in theater so I could be on stage as much as possible, fueled my motivation in the classroom.   I started applying the memorization techniques I learned for theater to how I studied.  I could turn history lessons into scripts, and use different colored highlighters to give me a visual cue to remember the information, the same way I memorized lines for a show.  If I was struggling to understand a math equation or word problem, I could role play like a scene from a musical and it would make sense.  When I turned science concepts into a song, I could remember them for the test.   Every subject became a musical in my imagination.   My grades started improving.  I started getting A’s instead of F’s in tests.  My confidence grew and I liked the feeling success, especially after feeling like a failure for so long.   

My passion for  theater catapulted me to the top of my class in high school.  I received multiple scholarships and was admitted to over 20 universities with top theater programs.   There was a time I believed I would never be able to attend college.   In high school, I realized many kids struggle the way I did and I decided I want to build a theater program to help students like me find their voice, and learn creative ways to study and succeed.  All of our brains are unique, and there is not a single correct way to study, but it can feel like if you do not fit into one academic box, you are somehow less intelligent.  I learned that could not be further from the truth.  I learned I do not like how it feels to fail, but that failure is necessary for success.  Knowing that failure is necessary, motivates me to never give up, especially since I learned that there are many ways to succeed.   My passion for theater and performing, and my desire to give others the keys that helped me unlock the blocks in my brain keeps me motivated at school, in every subject, and in life, pursuing each and every opportunity I can, even when it seems impossible.  I know I can overcome the highest of mountains if I just keep singing.