how to be happy, despite all expectations
/My time in high school
Attended high school in the
2000s
Overall high school experience
5/10. If I could only rate my high school theatre experience, it would be 10/10. Need I say more?
Grades in high school
A's and B's. Except in the sciences. I got all the way down to an F in Chemistry one semester. That was awful.
Favorite subjects
Performing Arts, Foreign Language, English
Struggled with...
The sciences just befuddled me and I was too scared of being branded a failure to ask for help.
Favorite extracurricular
Performance Art
Life since high school
“Going to a tiny college that no one had ever heard of was life changing. I had personal attention every step of my higher education and was able to get the best possible education for my career goals.”
Attended college / university at
Knox College
Majored in
major in Theatre - double minor in Sculpture and German
Post-graduate education or training
Costume Fellowship at Berkeley Repertory Theatre
Places lived in US
Oregon, Illinois, California
Places lived outside the US
Florence, Italy (study abroad)
Current occupations / past occupations
Theatre Technician (IATSE Union Stagehand - Wardrobe)
Lingerie Designer/Entrepreneur (Rubberlesque)
Dressmaker, Alterations Seamstress
past: Bartender, Stitcher, Costume Designer
Industries I've worked in
- Other Services (except Public Administration) (e.g. Repair, Salon, Political/Labor orgs, etc.)
- Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation
- Retail Trade
- Hospitality
Did your education prepare you for your career or occupation?
Absolutely! Going to a tiny college that no one had ever heard of was life changing. I had personal attention every step of my higher education and was able to get the best possible education for my career goals.
Has your education or career/occupation trajectory ever changed? How?
No. I find working in the arts to be the most fulfilling and socially productive career path for me.
A little introspection...
To me, being successful means...
being a happy and productive citizen of the world.
My definition of success has changed over time.
I used to think success was dictated by the brand names that made it onto your resume. Letting go of those expectations for myself was the most productive decision I have ever made.
My greatest accomplishment to date and what I’ve learned from it
Three years out of college, I attained my dream job, working for the theatre company that inspired me to go into theatre to begin with. It's been an incredible experience and I've learned a lot about my vocation, but I have also learned that I need to keep making goals, keep striving for bigger things and never settle for anything.
My biggest mistake or regret so far and what I’ve learned from it
My biggest mistake was fighting so hard against going to a small, unknown college. I wanted so badly to have a big brand name school on my resume (and, let's be honest, facebook page) that I let go of any of my personal motivations for going to college. I learned that what is a good educational situation for some students is absolutely the wrong situation for others. I also learned that sometimes (ok, most of the time) your parents know you better than you think.
An unexpected event that significantly changed my life and how it impacted me
I graduated in 2009. One of my dear friends, a fellow theatre practitioner (and one who was really going places with her career), stepped in front of a train at the crossing of Alma and Meadow. My life was turned upside down and I honestly don't remember huge chunks of graduation and the summer afterwards. I do remember the community coming together and supporting everyone who was impacted by this and the other tragic suicides. I changed my entire life trajectory after that. Life is too preciously short to not pursue your wildest dreams.
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My favorite spot in or around Palo Alto
the Bay Lands
