Major: Theatre
Profession: Performer, director and teaching artist, New York City
Hometown: San Diego, Calif.
What are you doing now?
"I work as an actor, puppeteer, director and teaching artist. My day-to-day is rarely consistent, but I often spend my mornings in schools around New York City on behalf of The New Victory Theater, leading workshops before or after students come to see our shows. Most evenings I’m in some kind of rehearsal and, in between, I’m usually working on new projects, either on my own or with the Tony Award-winning company, Martian Entertainment."
How did you get there?
"I can’t really say I feel like my life has reached a 'there' yet, but wherever I am right now, I’m certain I wouldn’t have gotten here without a remarkable network of support from family, friends, and mentors. Receiving the Watson Fellowship — in no small part thanks to support from the Pomona Graduate Fellowship Office — played an important role, as well. It introduced me to puppetry, helped me begin to see myself as an artist, and gave me the confidence I needed to continue pursuing the work I truly love out in the big wide world."
How did Pomona prepare you?
"Pomona always encouraged me to connect the dots between ideas, opportunities, and interests — even when they didn’t appear immediately related. Pomona also provided me with the resources needed to investigate these connections far beyond my own means. Two SURP grants made possible a summer in New York training and performing onstage, and a summer in France assisting Prof. Thomas Leabhart with his Corporeal Mime workshops. At Pomona, I felt empowered to let my passions guide my way."
Where do you see yourself in five years?
"Hopefully, I’m still doing a lot of what I do now, but with greater skill, more confidence, and a stronger voice. Of course, it’s difficult to consider this question without worrying over whether or not my work will find a larger audience — and more money. I certainly hope those are part of my future, too! But I don’t think my 22-year-old self could have ever imagined everything I’m doing now, and I won’t be too surprised if I’m saying the same thing five years from now about my 27-year-old self."
Any advice for prospective or current students?
"Increasingly, I’ve been trying to stop measuring myself and my work as 'good' or 'bad.' When it comes to art-making and self-expression, at least, I don’t think this rubric serves me — or anyone, really — as a robust support system. It’s too subjective and fickle. Instead, I’m trying my hardest to picture myself as someone who is capable, thoughtful, and hard-working, and then measure myself and my work through how well they stand up to that image. I don’t know if that is valuable advice for everyone, but it has felt pretty significant to me."