What leadership roles and/or volunteer experiences have you had?

I have been on the Executive Board of the Undergraduate Theatre Artists Society for three years, and I am currently the Co-Chairman of that organization. I am currently the Undergraduate Representative on the College of Arts and Humanities Collegiate Council and the Undergraduate Theatre Representative on the School of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies' Committee of the Whole. In the Spring of 2010, I started Maryland Laboratory Theatre, which is the University's only experimental theatre ensemble. I was a founding member and have served as Treasurer and Educational Chair of Hamsa, UMD's LGBTQQIA Jewish student group.

What is your favorite campus setting and why?

The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center has become my home on campus. I take classes, eat at Applause Cafe, rehearse, have student group meetings, plan events, work in the paint shop, attend performances, check out books, study, and hang out with friends. It is one of the main reasons I came to the University of Maryland and continues to be something I brag about to my friends at other Universities. The opportunities available to us are endless!

What has your scholarship meant to you or enabled you to do?

My scholarships have allowed me to pursue my studies in Theatre at one of the top BA Theatre programs in the country. As a freshman in high school, I auditioned for many of the top theatre programs in the country. The scholarship opportunities available at the University of Maryland made this program my top choice, and I have been able to grow as an artist and intellectual due to the benevolence of donor support. While at UMD, I have been able to direct two original works with the School of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies. I have also been able to intern at GALA Hispanic Theatre and at the DC Commission on Arts and Humanities. None of these opportunities would have been possible without the amazing support of the School of Theatre Dance and Performance Studies and the scholarships I have received. 

What is your favorite quote and why?

 " Freedom is always and exclusively freedom for the one who thinks differently." Rosa Luxemburg

This quote by Rosa Luxemburg has transformed my artistic philosophy. The true power of art lies in its ability to make the viewer expand their minds and think differently. As an artist, I am practicing one of the greatest treasures of our American democracy, Freedom.