Graduated from the University of the Arts in 2018 with a BFA in Directing, Playwriting, and Production. I freelance taught theater across the Bay Area, including at OSA (i think I may be the first alum that was hired as an employee). Since 2019 I've worked at American Conservatory Theater in the Young Conservatory. I'm the Young Conservatory Associate Programs Manager
OSA is a complicated place for me. I genuinely loved the school. OSA turned my hobby into a career, giving me resources and experiences I couldn't have gotten anywhere else. I acted, stage managed, and/or directed on 17 shows in my 5 years at the school, including traveling to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival twice. OSA also had the supportive and welcoming environment I needed for my social development. I felt safe to be my weird self and accepted by my peers. I would not be where or who I am today without the school. But I was also traumatized by elements of the school, the chair of Theater while I was there. My mental health struggled and I was made to feel worse about myself. I’m still unlearning harmful ideas that were drilled into me from that teacher, and I still have panic attacks related to that teacher. One of the reasons I went into theater education was give the next generation a better experience than what I had. It’s been messy to unpack all of that.
The Bay will always be home home. It's a vibrant and diverse group that I keep coming back to.
My fondest memory is going to the Edinburgh Fringe Theater festival twice: once in 2011 as a stage manager and once in 2013 as an actor.
The teacher with the greatest impact on me was the Chair of Theater while I was there, Michael Berry. This is not a compliment. He was brash, rude, and mean. He would lie to me about projects and treated me in a way that was inappropriate for a teacher and student. He taught me to disregard my own health and wellbeing for others - that I didn’t matter. I still have panic attacks surrounding him. And I was one of his favorites. The teachers with the greatest positive impact were Karen Kinblad, who always supported my mental health and encouraged my love of science, Ms. G, who opened my eyes to EDI work and invited me to begin unlearning deeply held prejudices, and Becky Potter, who was the theater instructor during my time with the most qualifications and gave me the most support. She was a gem.
