Life is interesting when you think you know what you want to do, and then you end up doing something completely different. I thought I wanted to be a veterinarian for the longest time, so much so, I was pre-med for the first year and a half of my undergraduate career. I was also taking theater classes and working in the costume shop during that same time. Then after an unpleasant organic chemistry class one day, I decided that this wasn’t for me.
I needed a new plan so I met with my advisor and said I don’t want to do this anymore, but I don’t know what else to do. They reviewed my coursework, noticed my theater courses, and talked to me about that option. I remember walking back to my dorm thinking that changing my major to Film, Television, and Theater seemed like a giant mistake. This isn’t what I was taught was a “traditional” path. So, I called my parents and explained what was going on and what I was thinking of doing, and much to my surprise they were very supportive of my decision. They said, “This is your degree, so it’s up to you. But honestly, you’re going to Notre Dame so you can major in anything.”
I graduated with a BA in Film, Television, and Theater with an emphasis on Theater from the University of Notre Dame in 2010. I started working and volunteering at various theaters around San Antonio and even had the opportunity to work full-time for several of them. I ended up finding my way into fundraising and development within the nonprofit sector for the last 7 years working with social services, education, arts, and healthcare nonprofits. Through my various work experiences, I have continued to work on development teams specializing in fundraising events, partnerships, and donor relations.
In the nearly 15 years since graduating, I have always said I wanted to go to graduate school and at some point, during my tenure at a children’s theater, the idea of studying arts administration was brought to my attention. I told some friends about it, but didn’t apply to any schools. Then last year a close friend who was part of the program said, “I think you would like the Bolz Center program, you should look it up.” I did. I applied for the first deadline for the fall of 2024. I had just started working at a children’s hospital when I got my acceptance letter. After much deliberation with my partner, we decided it was now or never. So, we packed up our house, our dog Bean, and our cat Little Foot and we made the drive to Wisconsin in August.
I have been working with the Wisconsin Union for my Applied Learning Placement this year, focusing on Badger Bash and Game Watch activations. I am learning a lot working with various departments and media partners. I have seen the process of creating a new project like Game Watch and some challenges in launching a new initiative, for instance how do you guarantee there will be food sales if you don’t know if people will show up and how do you get people to show up if there is no guarantee there will be food? I am fortunate to have a dynamic team to work with and help me navigate the challenges and take ownership of the events I am working on.
Now in the Bolz Center, I believe everyone deserves the opportunity to experience the transformative power of the arts; and in my case, theater. I currently serve as the Artistic Director of The Overtime Theater in San Antonio and plan to utilize the skills I learn through this program to help the theater continue to grow after graduation. My path to this work took some twists and turns, but it was the path that I was meant to be on.
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