How did you choose your majors?

I came to Hofstra originally planning to only major in drama. I was trying to decide between the BA and BFA degrees. The BFA is very intense. It doesn’t leave time to take courses in other areas. That felt a little restrictive to me. Choosing the BA left me the option to take on a second major, and I started to look at the programs offered at the Herbert School of Communication. During my research, mass media called out to me. My whole life I’ve been influenced by media in one way or another. I was interested in doing analysis of the ways media – especially entertainment and political coverage – impacts society.

How do you think these areas of study will work together as you build a career?

Right now, I’m focusing on opportunities in drama after college. I’m currently the dramaturg for a new play at the New York Theater Festival, Stigmata Martyr, by Horatio McLaughlin. I’ll also probably move back home to Maryland for a time to work at a theater in my hometown. I’d like to apply for an apprenticeship in dramaturgy and education. 

I think the best way I could use what I’ve learned in both majors is to pursue public relations positions in theater, where I could work on media coverage and graphic design, as well as develop marketing materials and manage social media.

What were your most memorable acting experiences at Hofstra?

I’ve been cast in plays almost every semester I’ve been here. But I would say my last performing experience, By the Way, Meet Vera Stark, was my favorite at Hofstra. It was a great script and the role of Leroy Barksdale really fit me and gave me more to do than the other shows I worked on. The cast and crew were very supportive of one another. 

Also, my director, G.D. Kimble, was a genius. I’ve never had a better rapport with a director. Perhaps because he was the first Black director I had, we connected a little more deeply. 

I was also in a few of the Shakespeare Festivals, including Cymbeline and The Merry Wives of Windsor this past fall on the Globe Stage replica. I also did a show over Zoom my first year, the musical Working.

Have you had any other mentors besides Professor Kimble?

Professor [Jingsi] Wu has been my biggest supporter in the mass media studies program. I’ve been in her classes a few times, and she’s advising my independent study project. She makes me feel valued and appreciated. There was one time I had to be absent from class, and she reached out to let me know I had been missed that day. Professor Wu is a professor who lets her students know that she cares about them and recognizes their contributions.

If you could travel back in time, what advice would you give your first-year self?

I would tell my freshman self that patience is extremely important. For example, when I was talking about my favorite stage experience, that just happened earlier this semester. It was four years in the making. 

I would also tell the younger me to be gentle and resist the urge to “beat yourself up” when things don’t go the way you want. Look at everything as a learning opportunity. You have to take a step back and say, “I’m doing all right. What I have and what I’ve been given is enough.”

What will you miss the most after graduating from Hofstra?

I'm mainly going to miss my friends. Some of them I’ll keep interacting with over the phone and socially. Actually, there are friends who are working with me on Stigmata Martyr, so I’m glad we’ll still be together and in regular communication. 

I’ll also miss having the structure and security of a schedule that’s been built for me and around all the things I need to accomplish each day. When I wake up in the morning now, I know exactly what I need to do. I have people who regularly help and support me. Being out on my own, where I will have to take the lead in my life, is a little scary but also very exciting.

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