The trajectory of my life began to take shape at the age of 6 years old, when I met my 78-year-old piano and voice teacher, Mrs. Louis Kouba. Mrs. Kouba was the epitome of an arts leader, though she never would have considered herself as such. She was many things – opinionated, talented, and loyal. Even more importantly, she was passionate, empathetic, and believed in her students and empowered them to grow and build as high and as wide as they possibly could. Mrs. Kouba and I had a special bond, and she quickly became family to me.
There is an adorable picture of me at the age of 7 wearing a Dorothy Gale costume, clutching my first-place trophy after winning my first talent competition ever after singing The Wizard of Oz classic, “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” In that same picture, you’d see Mrs. Kouba standing next to me proudly, having encouraged me to take my first steps onto the stage. I knew from this moment that the arts were where I belonged, and that I was meant to be a leader the same way as she.
In high school, I chased every arts and leadership activity I could. I sang in the choir, played various sports, led in academics, was involved in student government, and attempted to learn a slew of instruments. Through the years, my interest ebbed and flowed in these various departments, but one thing remained the same – every Wednesday, I would learn a lesson at Mrs. Kouba’s house. Sometimes musical, sometimes not, these lessons sculpted the type of musician, leader, and human that I wanted to show up as every day.
When I was 17 years old, Mrs. Kouba passed away – after teaching me individually for 11 years. At the time, I had just been cast as the lead in my senior musical as – you guessed it – Dorothy Gale in The Wizard of Oz. It’s now a tradition of mine to perform “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” in her honor at any major show or showcase I perform, as I look to her as a crucial component in shaping the type of artist and leader I have become.
After high school, I attended the University of Wisconsin – La Crosse, originally planning to study music and teach. However, as I progressed in my learning, I discovered arts administration, and it felt as though I had finally found my calling. A profession that combined my love for the arts with my passion for cultivating relationships, advocacy, and organizing felt too good to be true. After 4 years of education full of theatre shows, internships, and lessons learned, I earned my BA in 2025 in Arts Administration and Theatre Performance.
The yellow brick road I’ve been following since I was 6 years old has led me here – to one of the most prestigious arts administrative programs in the country – the Bolz Center for Arts Administration. It has also led me to work for an organization once led by Arts Administration legend Fan Taylor, through my applied learning placement at the Wisconsin Union Theater, where I work with artists and audiences and push the limits of what hospitality and artistic connection can look like.
These programs have changed me, challenged me, expanded my world view, and excited me for the future to come more than I could have imagined. This dream Mrs. Kouba and I held for my arts future is alive and well, as I have just accepted a full-time position as the Marketing and Administrative Assistant for American Players Theatre in Spring Green. I can’t wait to see what wonderful opportunities lie just over the rainbow!
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