Jackie Ross is a hard working, dedicated young woman studying Psychology here at Carnegie Mellon University. What makes Jackie special? Since age eight, when she starred as Wendy in Peter Pan, Jackie has always been drawn toward the stage. Here at Carnegie Mellon, she participates in Soundbytes, Scotch ‘n’ Soda, and Dancers Symposium. Beside her performance activities, she also is a member of Kappa Alpha Theta and a Research Assistant for Relationships Lab. How, then, can she make time for all these activities? “Every semester I say I’m going to cut back on my activities,” Jackie said “but each semester I end up doing more than I did in the last.” Although she stresses about fitting schoolwork into a schedule jam packed with music and theatre, the work always gets done and she loves being busy with activities she is passionate about.
In order to stay dedicated to so many aspects of performing, one needs to have an abundant love and passion for what they’re doing. In Jackie’s opinion, it’s the way the arts can bring new life to individuals that she loves most. For her, theatre brought out a side of her unknown to everyone, including herself. As a child, Jackie confessed that she was very shy and self-conscious. It wasn’t until Jackie hit the stage that she developed a new confidence that changed her. The arts helped her to develop into the confident, driven, and passionate young woman we see today. “The arts really do bring out this fire in people, which I think is really incredible.”
During her senior year of high school, Jackie starred as Kate Monster in Avenue Q with Music Theatre International. Her favorite part of the show was taking in the talent that surrounded her. In fact, her favorite performance memory involved the final company song in Avenue Q. “I remember during the final performance when the company sang ‘For Now,’ I was listening to all of us sing,” Jackie explained “and I remember feeling so blessed.” It wasn’t just the fact that the audience was smiling and enjoying the performance, but being a part of a great ensemble that made Jackie happy. Proudly, she stated that she’ll “never forget what an electrifying feeling I felt that day surrounded by such stellar people.”
Today, Jackie continues to dance, sing, and act, and she has no intention of giving that up anytime soon. What once made her who she is will continue to keep her going for many years to come. Aside from her incredible performing ability, her drive, passion, and confidence makes her a Her Campus Celebrity.