When I was eight, I decided I wanted to be an actress. I wanted to be Sharpay Evans from High School Musical. I wanted to sing and make people laugh.

I never really got that opportunity. I was homeschooled, and I was never really able to get involved in a co-op except for one semester where I was able to be a part of a drama club. Many church Christmas plays and a couple of choir concerts followed, but there was nothing that satisfied my urge to be on stage.

That is, until my freshman year of college. My school does a night of comedy every fall semester, and I decided to audition my first semester. Much to my surprise I was given a role. This changed everything, as I fell in love with acting for forever.

I participated in the same comedy event a year later, and Friday night opened the very first musical I was able to be a part of.

No, I don’t have a large role. I have one line in Mary Poppins. But I’m up there singing, and I’m dancing, and everything feels right. I know that I am fulfilling a life-long dream of being a part of something that is created. I am a part of something that will make people smile, laugh, cry, and feel all kinds of emotions, but in the end they will be uplifted by the performance of a broken family who is taught to love by the world’s greatest nanny (someone put that on a mug).

My point is, thank you to the first stage I stepped on. Thank you for making me fall in love for the very first time. Thank you for helping me to develop the confidence to put myself out there and be a little goofy.

Thank you, dear stage.

Much love from the girl who has found a passion for creating in a way she ever had before.