Sparking emotion while opening an intellectually stimulating discussion of what it means to be human merges academia and the arts. The Complete Works of William Shakespeare probe age-old humanistic qualities of ambition, conflict, and corruption; the stage play One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest exposes the reality of abuse in mental health wards in the mid-1900s; The Color Purple the Musical captures the history of slavery and the moving spirit of African Americans in 20th century America. My interest in theatre’s extraordinary ability to allow theatrical artists to acknowledge the timeless stories of humanity represents a strong motif in my life. Advocating for those whose stories might be lost without theatrical resurrection – often accomplished by transposing an age-old story into modern terms. The theatrical arts have fostered personal excellence in time management, team work, public speaking, and frequent risk taking. Through supportive discussion circles, there is a developmental atmosphere in which my only competition comes from an internal drive to succeed. In the lab, I have found balance surveying scientific processes – often challenging the spiritual beliefs obtained through the arts – where miscalculations became opportunities for enlightenment.
To some, my life is a conflict of interest. To my professor, it is an oxymoron. To me, it is commonplace: hopeful, intuitive, driven by humility,