Theater has been around for thousands of years, and has constantly been touching people's lives in some way or another. Generation to generation, the art of theater and performance has been passed down to others and has created a vast community of theater lovers. It has impacted many individuals, eventually leading to theater impacting me.

I was just a little freshman in a sea of seniors, just trying to fit in and make as many friends as possible without pissing anyone off. Overall, I just wanted to belong to something, something that I could call mine. Then I found theater.

My first high school show was, of course, "Our Town" by Thornton Wilder. The entire day of auditions, I was dreading being judged by my own Theatre 1 teacher.

I sat in the back of the theater, with my small side of lines. Then, about six upperclassmen came up to me and welcomed me into their theater. I was so amazed. I didn't have to force my way into a conversation or act like something I wasn't. The upperclassmen just simply thanked me for auditioning and were so excited to see what I could do acting-wise.

I ended up getting a callback for the production, and was cast as Howie Newsome, which ignited my future career.

As I got more involved with the theater department, I realized how many opportunities were presented to me. With me being heavily involved in the theater department, I got to direct, act in 20 different plays and musicals, learn how to work the soundboard and even go to the international festival and workshop new plays.

Theater is and always will be my everything.

It gave me the opportunity to become a new character and just immerse myself in the magic and beauty of the art form.

I started to appreciate the little things, such as, an overture of an orchestra, the opening of a curtain, the spotlight that lit up an actor in the center of the stage and, of course, the words that playwrights use to develop the human condition.

Theater is constantly changing, and that is by far one of the reasons why theater can never get old. There will always be something to try.

I have devoted my career to studying, performing and experiencing theater, so I can give others the same experience I had with theater.

I and many others have personally been affected by theater, and the magic it creates.