What brought you here?

Today I got to thinking about the many, zillion paths that one walks down through their life. There are paths in your life that you never dream of getting off of, and yet somehow you do. And somehow it's the best thing for you. Or sometimes there are paths that you never expected to be so significant to the entirety of your life, and yet they are.

For me, that path was attending the Baltimore School for the Arts.

I originally attended BSA's orientation because my mother forced me. I didn't want to go to an art school. Most of my close friends were going to the local public high school and I was terrified of being left out of the group and missing football games and all of the activities that ARE the quintessential "high school experience"

But I had attended a magnet middle school for voice and took drama as an elective, and my mom really wanted me to give BSA a shot. I knew I was interested in acting, but it wasn't until my mom dragged me to Orientation in 8th grade that I realized how much it meant to me, and how potentially serious I could be about it.

I remember sitting in the BSA ballroom watching Donald Hicken, the head of the department talk about the program. He spoke about the intensity of the program, and that we should know that it was a "process based" and not "performance based" program, so we shouldn't expect to just be cast in shows every month. 

If you were in the BSA acting program you did 2 full productions your senior year, and began doing small scene nights your sophomore year. Freshman weren't allowed to perform at all. 

At first, I didn't quite understand this concept, but I knew BSA's reputation so I assumed it was for the best. Boy were they right. The moment that Donald started talking about the homework and classwork we'd be receiving, and that we'd spend half of our 8 hour day in acting classes was pretty much the coolest thing since sliced bread to me. I had never heard of such a thing in a high school.

After Orientation I was obsessed with going to BSA. I decided I was going to be attending in the fall whether they accepted me our not. 

I prepared an awful, awful audition that I was sure was genius at the time, and somehow or another,

I got in. I think that was the most excited my little 8th grade heart had ever been.

Going to BSA was the smartest decision I have ever made. To this day, I 100% believe I would not be the person I am today if I hadn't been so blessed with the opportunities this place offered me.

I met fifteen of the most influential people of my life.

I know exactly which ones of them will read this and roll their eyes. 

I know exactly which ones will laugh. 

I know exactly which ones will get mad that there aren't more pictures of them on here.

I know exactly which ones will get mad that their are BAD pictures of them on here.

I know exactly which ones will maybe even get a little teary. 

I know exactly which ones probably will never read this.

Our ensemble was not always a rosy picture. BSA was not always a rosy picture.

Of course there were days that I didn't feel like going to school.

But no matter what, I always felt so comforted knowing that I had the amazing faculty and my wacky ensemble behind me. We could talk (and often did) all kinds of mess about each other either to each other's faces or behind our backs, but I would put money on the fact that if any one of us heard someone ELSE talking about someone in OUR ensemble--

Your ass was grass.

BSA led me to acting and performing in a way that I never expected. They put faith and work into every student that walks through their doors. They are the reason I'm in college right now.

Though I might not be pursuing a theater degree anymore, 

acting and performing will always have a huge place in my life and heart. 

These people will always have a huge place in my life and heart.

I can't imagine who I would be or what I would be doing had I gone to high school somewhere else,

and I never want to. Because I'm proud of who I am and what I stand for.

I have BSA to thank for so much of that. 

What about you guys? What was the path that brought you where you are now? Would you change anything?

'Til next time...

-C