UC San Diego

Before entering graduate school, people were often surprised at my level of acting skill. When I was accepted into the MFA Acting program at UCSD, I thought this pattern of underestimation would change. I was wrong. After beginning classes, I noticed the same pattern of response–people often praised me with a sense of wonder, as if it was curious that I could do what I could do.I played many wonderful roles in my first and second year. However, I knew that I was capable of greater depth. I wanted to show people that I could do something wildly different. In 2022, I was cast as Ariel in Hells Canyon by Keiko Green, a horror play. It was the most physically taxing production that I have ever been a part of. I wanted people to be blown out of the water, and they were. Many people still speak about my performance to this day. However, the response was not one of surprise. In an effort to prove that I could exceed expectations, I discovered that people’s expectations of me were already high. My work in first and second year had shown them what I was capable of. They knew, simply through watching me, that I could do incredible things. That lesson will stay with me: I may have been underestimated before, but as long as I show people my work, that is enough indication of what I am capable of. I no longer have anything to prove.