This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Brandeis chapter.
Hometown: Sharon, Massachusetts
Majors: Business and Theater
Year: 2013
1. Congrats on your senior commencement speech! How do you feel about speaking in front of all those people?
Thanks so much! I can’t believe it! I honestly keep pinching myself because it feels like a dream! It is a huge honor to congratulate Class of 2013 on our collective accomplishments right before we receive our degrees!! I’m so excited to speak, and I couldn’t be more thrilled to represent Brandeis Class of 2013!!!!
2. What are your plans for after graduation?
I will be working as the Special Events Coordinator for a really cool nonprofit called C.I.S.C.R.P. (Center for Information & Study on Clinical Research Participation). They have some exciting events during the year to honor and educate those interested in participating in clinical trials. I also plan to continue teaching fitness classes as a Group Fitness Instructor and Personal Trainer over the summer in Boston and in Bar Harbor. (It’s possible I’ll be teaching fitness classes at Brandeis next year, too!) I’ll also be facilitating a music program over the summer at College of the Atlantic—it’s called “Samba Meets Jazz,” and I’m really looking forward to it!
3. What will you miss most about Brandeis?
There are so many things—it’s hard to single out just one! I will miss the many opportunities to combine all of my passions—being able to major in Theater and Business has provided me with so many opportunities to take classes and participate in extracurricular activities that merge both disciplines. I will most definitely miss being around my best friends 24/7—it’s easy to take for granted the close proximity of your friends on a college campus. This is going to sound silly, but I will also miss having a schedule filled with a bajillion extracurriculars and classes! Sometimes running around from event to event feels exhausting, but the ability to spend time with friends while planning and participating in events and classes that I’m passionate about is very fulfilling. Also, I’ll miss living as a part of this incredible community. I plan to stay connected—no doubt about that—, but living at Brandeis as a member of this community has been a dream come true.
4. Can you tell me about your time spent in the theater department and Starving Artists? Which production has been your favorite roles and production to be a part of?
It has been a true honor to be a part of the theater arts community here at Brandeis and to work with such a talented, passionate, and creative team. I’ve really enjoyed performing onstage, working on productions in backstage positions, and producing workshops and concerts to benefit charity organizations (like Broadway Cares, the Greater Waltham ARC, and the Silvertone Fire Company in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy). I served as a Theater UDR for two years, conceiving and planning the Brandeis Play Discussion Series to help publicize our own productions within the department through talk-backs with the production team, as well as to create a relaxed environment in which students and faculty can analyze plays together. I worked on a Senior Thesis project and contributed my findings to the Senior Thesis Festival through two departmental presentations. My project explored the branding elements related to financial success on Broadway, and my research provided me with an opportunity to interview many Brandeis alumni within the Broadway world! I served as a student member of the Season Advisory Committee within the Theater Department and enjoyed working with faculty and MFA students to select the upcoming season of 2013-2014 (I only wish I could remain a student here to audition for these incredible shows)!
My favorite and most challenging roles have been Amanda Wingfield (The Glass Menagerie), Mimi (Rent), and Diana Morales (A Chorus Line). So thankful to have had these opportunities to grow as an actress! My favorite production to work on was probably Rent because we really bonded as a cast, worked with an incredible production team, and put on a show that left its mark on the Brandeis community. We’re still asked to perform “Seasons of Love” at university functions!
Starving Artists has also been a large part of my Brandeis experience. My relationship with this team has been very close since I received my acceptance phone call by in fall 2009! Joining Starving Artists was like being adopted into a very special family—we’ve worked so hard together to spread our love for music, and working as the Events Coordinator for 3 years was exciting and fun. I can’t believe that I won’t have SA as a staple in my schedule, but I plan to be a very supportive alumna (I’ll be back for the group’s semester shows) and I am looking forward to joining the SA alums, who are very much like my older siblings, in the real world.
5. Since you’re a Roosevelt fellow, what advice do you have for incoming freshman?
There are so many incredible opportunities at Brandeis that will enable you to explore and pursue your passions! Remember that balance is the key to success, and that you don’t need to know all the answers yet to field questions like “what do you want your major(s) to be?” and “what do you plan to do after college?”
Here are a few rules of thumb that I often send out to first years about keeping a steady balance between classes and extra-curriculars:
It’s all about sharpening time-management skills!
1. Get involved: Attend the Activities Fairs and never feel nervous about introducing yourself! People are excited to meet you and welcome you in to the community! Sign up for listservs, and get to know people in clubs that you’re interested in joining!
2. Utilize the shopping periods at the beginning of each semester! And really get a feel for the course loads and balance—is the combination something that you think you can manage during the next 4 months? You know yourself better than anyone! And if you start to feel that things are slipping towards a less favorable direction, it’s never too late to reconfigure!
3. Get to know your professors!
4. Try to tackle assignments piece-by-piece rather than put projects together the night before. For writing papers, break it down so you only have to write 1 to 2 pages per day (giving yourself a full day to proof read/edit). Also, tell yourself to write one page of brain mush just to get the thoughts out. You can always go back and edit your writing!
5. Make a realistic checklist of things you want to accomplish for your night. Physically checking off the assignment or crossing it off feels awesome!
6. Always make sure to plan for time to unwind! Whether it’s 1or 2 hours per day, just to relax and take everything in! Sometimes for me, that’s meeting with a friend for coffee or even singing with my jazz group. Those are chances to relax and take in the experience.
Finally, be kind to yourself. You’re a smart and competent person, and you will be able to finish your work if you do a little bit each day. Everything gets really busy around here, and it’s definitely difficult to time manage with so many exciting events and opportunities. It’s important to remember your own studying habits and how you function. Sleep, eating three meals a day, and exercise are EXTREMELY helpful to keep in mind throughout the whole year—but especially during stressful weeks!!
6. What other things were you involved with during your time at ‘Deis?
I am a group fitness instructor at the Gosman gym; the founder, business manager and lead vocalist of Spellbound; the president of A Cappella Etc.; a Reunion Coordinator and Liaison; the VP of Tymp; the producer of Brandeis Cares 2012; and a 24-Hour Musical director!
7. Are you excited or nervous to graduate?
Both—I’m very excited, but I don’t think the idea of graduating has fully hit me yet. I’m definitely excited to work and to transition to a new phase of my life, but the idea of being a bus ride/plane trip away versus 50 steps from my door is definitely a sad reality. I’d say it’s bittersweet—but I hope the idea of graduating hits me while I’m with my friends during Senior Week… rather than when I’ve already graduated and I’m away from everyone.
8. Are you ready for our team to kick butt during senior week kickball?
Are you kidding?!!! SO READY!!!!!!