Student Blog: Intentional Steps

Reflecting on my professional growth over the past year, a significant portion of it came from participating in new and unfamiliar situations. Whether these scenarios were intentional or not, it is important to recognize how discomfort ultimately leads to growth. I firmly believe that true growth occurs in uncomfortable situations and that recognizing how you personally develop is crucial to achieving success in any discipline. With that in mind, I wanted to reflect on my professional development and analyze new ways I can continue to improve in the new year. 

A portion of these experiences were self motivated, such as attending auditions, participating in workshops, and taking classes at new studios with new instructors. In March, I participated in OCUNYC, a workshop dedicated to facilitating professional opportunities in New York City focused largely on dance, acting, vocal performance, and arts management. During this time period, I was relatively new to singing, yet I forced myself to sing in numerous masterclasses. Fast forward to the end of 2025, and I had begun voice lessons, performed in my vocal studio’s masterclasses in front of my peers, sung in auditions, and taken part in my final juries. I can both hear and see my progress, and that makes the growth incredibly rewarding. It motivates me to keep going, knowing that each step forward is building my skillsets to become more multi-faceted and employable. 

The other portion of these experiences was not by choice, as they were either required for my degree, determined by casting decisions, or entirely unexpected. In this past year, I have had the opportunity to choreograph, line captain, perform, and swing through Oklahoma City University. In my past articles, I have extensively covered being a line captain and performer, so I want to shift my focus towards my experience as a choreographer and a swing. In the spring, I choreographed for Project 21, which is a collaboration between the Wanda L Bass School of Music and the Ann Lacy School of American Dance and Entertainment. Choreographers are paired with student composers, who create original musical works and choreography inspired by those compositions. This experience, in particular, has shaped my understanding of which systems work best for me as an effective teacher. This includes learning how to run a rehearsal room, pace my choreography, and create my rehearsal schedule. These transferable skills are helpful specifically with other choreographic ventures, such as my upcoming piece with OCU Pep Dancers. While choreography is important, being an effective leader is equally important to choreography projects. In the spring, I also had the opportunity to serve as an offstage swing in a dance-heavy production.  While I have been cast as a swing in a traditional “book” show, I have never swung in a dance setting specifically. This forced me to refine my blocking and choreography notation skills while also requiring me to navigate the mixed emotions of being excited to develop these abilities, yet disappointed about not performing onstage. The experience of being a swing resulted in skill sets that frequently cross over into stage management, assistant directing, and other production jobs I would want in the future. 

Looking forward to the new year, my defining word for 2026 is intentionality. Defined by Oxford Dictionary as “the fact of being deliberate or purposive,”  being intentional with my actions will allow me to continue my momentum of growth. One of the primary ways I will be accomplishing that is to continue to put myself in unfamiliar situations. For instance, I will be an assistant stage manager for Oklahoma City University's production of Anastasia, which will be my first production working with the school of music directors, performers, and peers. While I am nervous about this experience, I am confident that being part of this production will further develop my stage management experience. Another way I will be intentional with my career is to place a better emphasis on networking with professionals in the entertainment industry. As I continue my work as Vice President of Students of Arts Management, I plan to engage with performers, managers, technicians, and teachers, not only to enhance my own learning, but also to help other students pursue their passion.  I also plan to be more involved with USITT, better connecting with my peers on campus, and hopefully attending the USITT conference in March to network and learn from employers in the technical theatre industry. Framing my experiences and opportunities in alignment with my career goals will help me remain invested while also propelling me towards success in 2026. I hope you all join me in setting your professional intentions for the year to better embrace your growth and future opportunities.