Stephanie Richards is equipped with a whole arsenal of talents. A writer, circus student, ukulele player, and talented costume maker, this girl loves what she does. She shared how she balances it all in a recent interview.
Year of Graduation: 2017
Major: Writing, Literature and Publishing – Fiction
Hometown: Accra, Ghana
Finish this sentence: My friends tell me that I’m… energetic!
How did you get into circus/burlesque/performance culture? I was a theatre kid in middle and high school, but I guess even before that I was always fascinated by how people could totally transform themselves on stage. I was ten when I first saw a Cirque du Soleil show, and since then, it’s never been enough for me to walk away from a performance just thinking, “Oh, that was cool.” I’m looking at it saying, “I want to do that! How do I get to be up there?”
How are you involved now? Last semester and freshman year I took classes at Esh Aerial Arts, learning hand balancing, static trapeze, and lyra; this semester I’m just working on building my strength and flexibility on my own at the gym. Apart from that, I try to go see shows as often as I can wherever I can—dragging my friends along, of course. I’m actually going to the Boston Burlesque Expo this weekend.
What are you involved with on campus? I write for Emertainment Monthly, and I work at the Emerson costume shop making costumes for on-campus performances.
What are you involved with off-campus? Since I write for the music section of Emertainment, I get to see a lot of concerts around Boston, which is mega fun.
What is your dream job? I have no idea. Something that involves traveling, maybe? I could be an aerial performance artist, part-time English tutor, part-time firefighter. All over the world. Yeah.
Any advice for balancing extra-curriculars, school, work, and life? The busier I am, the more efficiently I work. I like to set out blocks of time to get things done on a day-to-day basis, and I keep a pretty steady weekly schedule so I can stay on top of my commitments. To stop from burning myself out, I even block out ‘me’ time, like Saturday and Wednesday mornings for just lazing about and watching cartoons in bed.
Fun fact about you? I love to sing, but I’m very self-conscious about it.
Favorite down-time activity? Chilling with my mates, and playing video games, probably.
Favorite video game? Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess was the first game I completed entirely, so it’s got a special place in my heart.
Pet peeve? Passive aggressive attitudes. I don’t like confrontation—I absolutely do not go looking for it—but I believe in straightforward communication of expectations and frustrations. If you have a problem with something I do, don’t put it on a sticky note and leave it for me to find!
Best part about living in Boston? It’s a very walkable city—I mean, when there’s not crazy snow all over the place. Otherwise, everything’s super accessible.
Worst part about living in Boston? The wind. I’m pretty okay with the cold and snow, but wind makes everything a hundred times worse.