We are incredibly thrilled to introduce the HCIC 100, a brand-new initiative by Her Campus at Ithaca College dedicated to recognizing 100 phenomenal graduating seniors who have spent their college careers breaking boundaries, leading with purpose, and leaving a lasting footprint on our campus. From creative innovators and fierce advocates to student leaders who kept our community thriving, we are celebrating the monumental achievements of these inspiring change-makers with dedicated feature profiles right here on our site.
To keep the celebration rolling, we are shifting our spotlight to the virtuosos and visionary creators from the School of Music, Theatre, and Dance, and trust us, their post-grad plans are nothing short of spectacular. These graduates are transitioning directly from undergraduate triumphs into professional stage productions, elite national fellowships, and impactful arts education tracks. We’ve got future directors and dramaturgs launching immediately into workshops and productions for the Finger Lakes New Works Festival, exceptional instrumentalists heading to prestigious fellowships in major artistic hubs like Chicago, and industry-minded creators moving to Nashville and New York City to dive headfirst into audio engineering, artist management, and backstage design. Plus, you’ll get an inside look at how these seniors balance intense performance schedules with community-centered music advocacy and regional arts education.
These seniors represent the absolute best of IC, and their stories are guaranteed to give you a major dose of inspiration. Grab your favorite iced coffee, settle in, and dive into our full feature to celebrate their legacies and see exactly how the Class of 2026 is getting ready to change the world!
Abigail Reagan
Major: Theatre Studies, BA / Writing, BA
đź“ŤPost Grad: Abigail is staying in Ithaca to serve as the Assistant to the Executive Artistic Director and Assistant Director for Mimosa at the Finger Lakes New Works Festival before pursuing a professional directing fellowship.
Abigail combined her literary focus with theatrical staging and directorial leadership during her time on campus. Her directorial work shaped major mainstage productions, where she served as the Assistant Director for both Handel’s operatic masterpiece Acis & Galatea and the musical staging of Little Women.
A supporter of contemporary and diverse creative voices, Abigail lent her logistical and literary expertise to the New Voices Literary Festival, where she served as a personal guide for acclaimed playwright Emily Breeze. Beyond the rehearsal room, she remained active in the campus performing arts scene by managing logistics and keeping the rhythm alive as the Co-Chair of Performance for IC Tap Co. Through these roles, she established herself as a versatile storyteller dedicated to both the written word and live performance.
Amanda haussmann
Major: Music Education (Clarinet), BM
đź“ŤPost Grad: Amanda is pursuing her Master of Music (MM) in Multiple Woodwind Performance at Montclair State University.
Amanda combined academic performance with versatile musicianship and administrative leadership during her time on campus. Her focus on her studies earned her the highest GPA in the School of Music, Theatre & Dance, culminating in her selection as a Marshal for degree candidates at graduation.
Amanda’s administrative and organizational leadership matched her academic success. She served as the Fall President of the National Association for Music Education (NAfME) while simultaneously performing in an extensive lineup of campus ensembles. Her musical contributions spanned across the Wind Ensemble, Jazz Ensemble, and Symphony Orchestra, as well as performing in the theatrical pit orchestra for the musical staging of Little Women. Her academic achievements and dedication to music education were further recognized by her induction into the Phi Kappa Phi, Pi Kappa Lambda, and Oracle honor societies.
“Amanda is someone you can always rely on, no matter what. As a musician, she is the most multi-talented person I know. She can play any style of music on pretty much any instrument at any time. As my best friend, she is exactly the same. She is fiercely loyal and the first person to jump to be on my side, and there’s no one else I’d rather have there.” – Elora Kunz ’26, Recital Partner
Caroline Armistead
Major: Theatre Administration, BS
Minor: Marketing
đź“ŤPost Grad: Caroline is moving to North Carolina to serve as a Development Assistant at Brevard Music Center this summer before pursuing a career in theatre production.
Caroline balanced business logistics, creative theatrical design, and collegiate athletics during her time on campus. Graduating with the highest GPA in the Theatre Administration program, she paired her academic success with athletic leadership as a member of the Swimming team and the National College Athlete Honor Society.
Caroline’s administrative work significantly shaped the campus arts scene, where she managed fiscal and public-facing operations as a box office manager. Alongside her administrative roles, she applied her creative skills to independent student theatre, serving as a prop designer for She Kills Monsters and collaborating on experimental stagings with the Twisted Minds Theatre collective’s Danganronpa musical projects. Dedicated to community advocacy, she also volunteered her time to support the Wheels for Women initiative.
“Caroline is incredibly electric and passionate in everything she does. Not only does she shine in theater, but she is also an incredible student, swimmer, and best friend. She is genuine, caring, and always knows how to make people laugh. I’m honored to have met her and to be able to call her one of my closest friends, and I couldn’t think of anyone more deserving of this than her.” – Sabrina Linsley, Twisted Minds Theatre
Chloe Farkouh
Major: Music with Outside Field (Voice with Outside Field in Business), BM
Minor: Psychology
đź“ŤPost Grad: Chloe is pursuing a career in music management, where she aims to advocate for artists and help them navigate the complexities of the industry to find sustainable success.
Chloe dedicated her time to student achievement, peer advocacy, and community mentorship during her time on campus. As a Head Peer Success Coach and Orientation Mentor, she provided vital academic and social support, helping hundreds of incoming students smoothly transition to life on South Hill.
Her commitment to campus equity and inclusion was centered on her work as the Social Media Head for the Disabled Students’ Alliance, an organization she championed from its inception. By balancing this extensive background in peer support with her business studies, Chloe developed a versatile perspective tailored for navigating the logistics of the music industry while maintaining a leadership style defined by empathy and advocacy.
“Chloe was the first and continues to be the most enthusiastic supporter of the Disabled Students’ Alliance since I first mentioned the idea in our first semester. She is an endlessly reliable member of our board and is always bringing a joyful energy to our meetings. Her connections to people and resources across campus have been a gift to many.” – Oak Weihing, President of the Disabled Students’ Alliance 2025-26
Chloe Wiederhorn
Major: Theatre Production & Design, BFA
đź“ŤPost Grad: Chloe is spending her summer at the Mac-Haydn Theatre in Chatham, NY, as a Props Supervisor and Designer before relocating to New York City to pursue a career in backstage theatre production.
Chloe spent her time on campus focusing on scenic design and curation, treating physical environments as storytelling mediums capable of projecting deep mood and narrative. Her visual design talent was showcased in the Ithaca College Mainstage production of WITCH, which required technical precision in spatial architecture and visual storytelling. Beyond campus productions, she built out her industry credentials in the regional theatre circuit by working as a Scenic Artist at the Hangar Theatre.
In addition to her theatrical work, Chloe served as the Curator for the Senior Art Show. She conceptualized and executed the exhibition under the title Lorem Ipsum. Inspired by the standard graphic design placeholder text, she selected the title to symbolize the blank canvas and fresh start awaiting the graduating class.
Eden Drew Seskin
Major: Musical Theatre, BFA
đź“ŤPost Grad: Eden is spending a final summer in Ithaca before moving to New York City to launch her professional career as a performing artist.
Eden combined her extensive background in performance with theatrical production management and specialized training during her time on campus. Literally booking her first paid gig at 18 months old, she brought experience from over 50 productions to South Hill. Her collegiate stage career included starring as Beth March in Little Women and serving as the Intimacy Captain for The Comedy of Errors.
Eden expanded her performance skill set internationally, earning her Stage Combat Certification in London and immersing herself in physical theatre. Her talents translated to the screen with her work on her first feature film, The Proctor, playing the featured role of Taylor. In addition to her acting and performance credits, she took on a significant administrative leadership role as the Producer for the 2026 BFA Musical Theatre Showcase in Manhattan, managing production logistics to highlight the graduating class.
Eislinn Gracen
Major: Acting, BFA
Minor: Writing for Film, TV & Emerging Media
📍Post Grad: Eislinn is splitting time between NYC and Florida to take classes at Upright Citizens Brigade (UCB) and shop her recent plays, with long-term plans to pursue a Master’s in Dramatic Writing.
Eislinn combined original playwriting, acting, and international performance during her time on campus. She made an impact on the global stage when her original script, Guns in Dragonland, was selected by the Los Angeles Theatre Initiative and performed by Ithaca College students at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2025.
Her creative voice and professional promise earned her the Clarence Straight Award, an honor reserved for outstanding theatre majors poised to establish successful careers in the industry. On campus, Eislinn balanced her writing with performance, lending her acting talents to productions with IC Macabre, the Twisted Minds Theatre collective, and the Dillingham Mainstage. Through these diverse projects, she established a strong foundation in modern dramatic literature and collaborative performance.
Ella Padilla
Major: Sound Recording Technology, BM
đź“ŤPost Grad: Ella is moving back to Rochester to collaborate with local artists before transitioning to Nashville to launch her career in the audio engineering and music industry.
Ella paired technical audio engineering with vocal performance and ensemble leadership during her time on campus. She stepped into a major leadership role as the President and Music Director of NUVO, Ithaca College’s BIPOC-aligned a cappella group, where she directed the ensemble’s identity, vocal arrangements, and live performances.
Behind the mixing console, Ella developed a professional background in studio production, tracking, and mastering. She gained hands-on engineering experience by serving as an Assistant Recording Engineer for local band Beercat and further sharpened her technical skills during a production internship at Station West. By combining live vocal performance with studio post-production, she established a comprehensive understanding of both the artistic and technical sides of the music industry.
“Over the last few years, I’ve had the privilege of watching Ella flourish into an incredible leader. From juggling block concerts to arranging music and everything in between, she puts her all into everything she does, and I couldn’t be more proud to have left NUVO in her very capable hands. Love you, girl!” – Destiny Carrion, NUVO President 2024-25
Isabella Joyner
Major: Music with Outside Field (Classical Guitar with Outside Field in Live Event Management), BM
đź“ŤPost Grad: Isabella is launching a career centered on music advocacy, with plans to start a non-profit for youth creative learning, establish a private guitar studio, and tour as a professional rock musician.
Isabella combined classical musical training with live event logistics and community building during her time on campus. She focused heavily on revitalizing the local underground music scene, serving as the Host and Co-President of Open Mic Night while managing logistical planning as the Event Coordinator for Unknown Stage.
Outside of her event coordination roles, Isabella balanced her schedule between collaborative ensemble work and solo creative projects. She performed as a member of the Guitar Ensemble and collaborated with the media group Scene & Heard. Additionally, she channeled her focus into writing and performing as an original singer-songwriter, culminating in the release of her debut single, “LGTFOOH!” Through these performance and administrative experiences, she developed an entrepreneurial background tailored for the live music and entertainment industry.
Jayna Simeon
Major: Performance (Voice), BM
đź“ŤPost Grad: Jayna is returning home to New York City to rest and reconnect with her community and family before embarking on the next chapter of her professional performance career.
Jayna paired vocal performance with extensive community advocacy and administrative leadership during her time on campus. Her focus on increasing the profile of the community of color through high-level, continuous leadership earned her the prestigious Chung/Thorpe Leadership Award, an honor presented to students who have made a significant impact on Ithaca College campus culture.
Jayna’s administrative work was reflected across multiple student organizations. She served as the President of Black Artists United, the President of the Amani Gospel Singers, and the Secretary and Treasurer for the Musicians of Color Association. Alongside her leadership roles, she lent her vocal talents to the Dorothy Cotton Jubilee Singers and worked firsthand to support campus residential life as a Resident Assistant, establishing a legacy centered on fostering creative communities and peer advocacy.
Madilyn Connor
Major: Performance (Flute), BM
đź“ŤPost Grad: Madilyn is moving to Chicago for a prestigious fellowship with the contemporary chamber sextet Eighth Blackbird, supported by the Helen Gurley Brown Foundation, while freelancing and preparing for graduate school in Flute Performance.
Madilyn combined classical woodwind performance with contemporary curation, academic excellence, and arts leadership during her time on campus. Her technical skill and artistic direction led her to serve as the Principal Flutist for the Ithaca College Symphony Orchestra, while her entrepreneurial initiative led her to co-found the Ithaca College Flute Association.
Dedicated to expanding the classical canon, Madilyn focused heavily on chamber music. Her ensemble, Coral Winds, made history in Fall 2024 as one of the inaugural groups selected for the college’s advanced chamber music curriculum. Pushing creative boundaries further, she also founded the MTN Trio, a contemporary chamber group entirely dedicated to collaborating with living creators, personally commissioning two brand-new musical works.
Madilyn’s performance caliber was matched by a strong academic profile as a BOLD Scholar and an inductee into the Phi Kappa Phi and Pi Kappa Lambda honor societies. Blending her artistry with a practical approach to curation, she built a foundational background in arts administration by interning for the professional Cayuga Chamber Orchestra and managing event operations as an Ithaca College Performance Crew House Manager.
Natalie Fadlon
Major: Theatre Studies, BA
đź“ŤPost Grad: Natalie is moving to New York City to continue expanding Twisted Minds Theatre while pursuing professional directing fellowships and a career in theatrical management.
Natalie combined original playwriting, theatrical management, and cultural advocacy during her time on campus. As a powerhouse of artistic leadership, she stepped into a major entrepreneurial role as the Co-Founder and Social Media Director of Twisted Minds Theatre, a student collective that has reshaped independent theater on South Hill. Her creative contributions within the company include co-writing and co-directing Changing Affairs and Back to Danganronpa, as well as serving as the sole writer and director for The L Team.
Dedicated to cultivating inclusive and boundary-pushing creative environments, Natalie also served as the Vice President of the Harmony Theatre Collective, Ithaca College’s premier BIPOC theatre organization. Her academic and intellectual achievements matched her artistic drive, earning her induction into the prestigious Phi Kappa Phi and Oracle honor societies.
Cultivating a reputation for high-concept staging, Natalie recently directed a production of She Kills Monsters as her Senior Directing Project. She also built out her professional administrative and production skills outside of the university ecosystem by serving as the Artistic Operations Intern for the Wheelock Family Theatre in Boston, establishing a comprehensive background ready for the professional theater industry.
Nicole Sutera
Major: Music with Outside Field (Voice with Outside Field in Psychology), BM
đź“ŤPost Grad: Nicole is pursuing a career in Arts Administration.
Nicole used an interdisciplinary approach to bridge the gap between psychological analysis and vocal performance during her time on campus. Graduating with the highest GPA in her program, her research exploring the connection between science and the arts earned her induction into Sigma Xi, the scientific research honor society.
Her technical precision as a vocalist was demonstrated on major stages, from winning first place in the Classical Treble category at the upstate New York NATS competition to performing the National Anthem at the 2025 Cortaca Jug game. Beyond solo performance, she demonstrated strong creative and logistical leadership by conceptualizing and directing the “Styles: In Memoriam” Concert, a large-scale, multi-ensemble campus event that brought together over 100 student performers.
Off the concert stage, Nicole focused heavily on student governance, advocacy, and international education. She served as the Senate Chair for the Student Governance Council (SGC) and founded the MTD Student Advisory Council to champion the needs of student artists. Additionally, she shaped vocal arrangements as the Music Director of Voicestream, performed with the Jazz Vocal Ensemble, and built global industry experience by interning abroad at the Amadeus International School Vienna.
Noelle Whipple
Major: Theatre Production & Design, BFA
đź“ŤPost Grad: Noelle is staying in Ithaca this summer to design two productions for the Finger Lakes New Works Festival as she continues to build her professional career as a Lighting Designer.
Noelle used light and color theory to sculpt atmosphere, manipulate tension, and evoke emotion across a variety of performance spaces. Her work as a lighting designer shaped the Ithaca College Mainstage season, where she conceptualized and executed the distinct visual palettes for both Little Women and Let the Right One In.
Her technical production skills extended into the regional theatre circuit, where she served as the Guest Lighting Designer for the Kitchen Theatre Company’s production of The Winter’s Tale. In addition to her theatrical work, Noelle’s eye for depth and shadow crossed over into fine arts curation, resulting in her striking design work being selected for feature display in the Senior Art Show. Through these diverse projects, she established a professional foundation in technical artistry and spatial storytelling.
Sonora Cohen-Rider
Major: Theatre Studies, BA / World Languages & Culture, BA
đź“ŤPost Grad: Sonora is serving as the Dramaturg for Daughters (Hijas): A New Musical, a co-production by the Finger Lakes New Works Festival and Walking on Water Productions, before moving to Washington, D.C. to build a career in freelance directing, dramaturgy, and translation.
Sonora focused on theatrical innovation, literary scholarship, and cross-cultural translation during her time on campus. Graduating with the highest GPA in the Theatre Studies program, her academic performance was recognized by her induction into the prestigious Phi Kappa Phi and Oracle honor societies.
Sonora’s distinct creative voice was reflected in her work with classical and contemporary texts. She made a significant impact by co-adapting John Lyly’s Galathea for the Dillingham Spotlight series and demonstrated strong organizational skills as the Assistant Director for the Ithaca College Mainstage production of WITCH.
Drawn to boundary-pushing and atmospheric narratives, Sonora also wrote, produced, and directed The Log of the Demeter in collaboration with the IC Macabre creative collective. In addition to her creative and directorial roles, she built out her administrative and operational background by managing front-of-house logistics as a House Manager for Imagination Stage, establishing a strong foundation ready to shape the future of contemporary dramatic literature.
Sophie Berger
Major: Stage Management, BFA
đź“ŤPost Grad: Sophie is launching a career in theatrical and live event stage management, with the long-term goal of joining national touring productions to combine her professional passion with her love for travel.
Sophie focused on stage management and production logistics for high-stakes live entertainment during her time on campus. Her organization, precision, and professional promise earned her the prestigious Clarence Straight Award, an honor reserved for outstanding theater majors poised to build successful careers in the commercial industry.
Sophie built an extensive resume across the regional theater circuit while completing her studies. She served as the Production Stage Manager for the College Light Opera Company, anchored local equity theater as the Calling Stage Manager for the Kitchen Theatre, and coordinated large-scale urban operations with the Commonwealth Shakespeare Company. Additionally, she expanded her administrative skill set by working as the Production Management Intern for the historic State Theatre of Ithaca. Outside of her technical and backstage responsibilities, Sophie dedicated her time to the community as a volunteer Puppy Sitter for Guiding Eyes for the Blind, establishing a reputation defined by sharp technical instincts and versatile deck leadership.
Victoria Schecter
Major: Music Education, BM (Trumpet)
📍Post Grad: Victoria plans to teach K–5 music while pursuing a Master’s degree in Special Education, with hopes of studying in Spain to further her goal of creating accessible musical spaces for all students.
Victoria combined analytical precision, music pedagogy, and student advocacy during her time on campus. Her institutional leadership, academic excellence, and community service earned her the prestigious Peggy Ryan Williams Award, alongside being named a Fulbright Semi-Finalist.
Victoria’s musical and organizational contributions spanned multiple departments. She managed organizational finances as the Treasurer for the Trumpet Guild, represented her peers on the Dean’s Council, and handled personnel logistics as the Concert Band Section Manager. As a versatile performer, she split her time between the Trumpet Ensemble and the Campus Band, where she showcased her multi-instrumental skills on trombone. Her analytical focus also led her to complete a minor in Mathematics and participate actively in the Math Club.
A bilingual educator, Victoria developed her pedagogical skills through hands-on teaching roles. She worked as an intern at the Community School of Music and Arts (CSMA) and completed a Student Teaching placement in Spotswood, NJ, where she led band and general music classes for grades 6–8.