I was never much of an athlete. In fact, when I quit the basketball team in fourth grade, they went undefeated. Throughout middle school, I never really had a place. Everyone had their own “thing.” There were basketball players, baseball players, soccer players, and dancers. I was that kid that liked musicals. All of that changed my freshman year of high school.

When I walked into the auditions for the school’s musical, I finally felt like I belonged somewhere. I had a small speaking role in the musical; I was on stage for about 20 minutes. But that was when I finally found my place.

I always loved musical theater. I would see live musicals with my parents and I would watch movie musicals until I had every note to every song memorized. I now have people in my life who are like me, people who listen to every second of their favorite Broadway cast album and dissect every note and lyric for each song — people who want to see performances and discuss it for hours on end afterwards.

Now I’m not afraid to say that some of my favorite songs are from musicals. I’ll listen to “Non-Stop” from "Hamilton" while writing a paper, and I’ll listen to just about anything from "Next to Normal" when I’m in a bad mood. I not only found a way to express myself, but I found a way to be myself.

Theater is more than just a hobby, it’s a lifestyle. The bonds you create with the people you do theater with are unbreakable. You connect with each other in ways you do not connect with anyone else. An entire company works towards one common goal, and when they reach that goal, it is so incredibly satisfying.

So I must say thank you to every director I've had, to every person I've ever shared the stage with, to every Broadway actor for inspiring me, to every composer and lyricist who has changed my life with the music they have written. Thank you to the entire theater community, because when I found you, I found my home.