This past Sunday marked the conclusion of my four-year journey through conservatory classes over at Trinitas Arts Conservatory. For 21 Thursdays every year, I have made my way over to Servite High School to take classes ranging from Acting to Musical Theatre Dance to my final class, Cabaret.

Honestly, it’s hard to believe that this part of my life is over. Within the span of about three weeks, I performed our Acting 3/4 original show “The Power of 8,” attended my final showcase to cheer on my friends, and performed my original cabaret “The Record Player.”

So, consider this my ode to conservatory.

While I’ve often considered it the most stressful part of Trinitas (mostly due to the limited time frame), I would be nowhere NEAR the performer I am today without the guidance and expertise of teachers such as Michael Betts, Erin McNally ‘91, Frankie Marrone Servite ’03, and Lexi Cross ‘13. Truly, the education I’ve gotten through these classes has completely reimagined how I approach acting, singing, and dancing.

I began in Acting I, exploring the basics of movement and choices with my fellow eager freshmen, and never imagined the day I’d finally complete my final Acting 3/4 show (having written one both last year and this year). I never imagined, when I began in my Musical Theatre elective, that I would find myself up onstage my senior year singing not one, not two, but four songs within an original, authentic story I had created.

I never imagined that I could find a space where I was not only allowed, but expected to make mistakes, and where I could really take the time to learn from them.

So thank you to my teachers, my classmates over the past four years, my figurative crayon box, my pencils, more importantly my erasers, my memorization tactics, and my time in that magical theatre.

On to the next adventure!