I always thought it was going to be a phase as a kid, but I was very wrong. This is my story.

When I was a child, my parents signed me up for community theater and I never thought anything of it. I thought it was just going up on stage and singing and dancing. After grade five, I left the acting career without looking back.

Fast-forward to four years later when I fell in love with musical theater. I have seen 33 or so Broadway shows in a two-year. But how did it change my life? Imagine a teenager unable to play sports, because, for one, he didn't enjoy them, and also because he was purely awful. Imagine a person with limited friends, not loving the life he was living, with nothing to be proud of. That was essentially me until I joined a little place up in Glen Rock, New Jersey, called Porch Light Productions. This is where I discovered the art of lighting design. By joining this theater, I fell in love with a hobby different than ones I had pursued my entire life. From there, I would do tons of shows every other month, and after I was set on this, I learned more and went on to getting jobs from outside places designing their shows and making such a great life. I can now be proud of what I like to do and talk about it with friends, or even at dinner parties. By joining the theater community, I was able to work on much-needed social skills. I have made tons of friends by doing shows at school, whom I love dearly. By doing community theater, I have met some amazing people that I love to talk with and hang out with in my free time.