What made you choose this major?
The theatrical arts are my one true passion, and I wanted to make myself more hirable to future job markets by adding my communication major.
How has what you’ve learned prepared you for your future?
Through my Contemporary Acting class I have learned the importance of empathy in a world where people tend to brush off kindness and compassion as weakness. By learning how to act and feel out different roles I’ve begun to slowly understand the different types of people that make up the diverse and beautiful society we live in. When you learn about a character for the first time, you look at their traits and see what part of yourself you can put into your role as that character. Acting makes you realize that we all come from different backgrounds and different places in life, and by using basic human empathy we can grow to understand the people that we talk to in day to day conversation.
What opportunities have you had to work closely with a faculty member and what impact has that had on your education?
In every class that I’ve been in at Carroll I have experienced the benefits of the small class sizes. It’s helped enhance my learning experience as a student and has affected how critically I think and how hard I work in each of my classes.
What’s one of the most unique experiences you’ve had relating to the coursework for your major?
The most unique experience I had in a class was in Intro to Arts Management. Professor Jenn Dobby talked about ways we can advertise ourselves to employers in the future and she said something that will stick in the mind for the rest of my life. She told the class to advertise your weaknesses as opportunities. This made me look at myself and my own weaknesses as something that I could change, something that wasn’t concrete. After that lecture I began to look at ways I could improve my opportunities as a student and future employee.
How has Carroll enriched your growth as a person outside of the skills you’re learning in the classroom?
Although my primary major is communication, I’m a theatre arts major and I participate frequently in the plays and musicals here at Carroll. This opportunity to be able to learn about the communicative sciences while expressing myself on stage has really helped me feel like a complete person.
If you were recommending your major to a prospective student, what would you tell them?
I greatly encourage students to double major if they can, it has given me so many opportunities in time management, mental growth and has helped further my creative thinking.
Why did you choose to attend Carroll University?
When I walked on campus for my first tour I got a gut feeling that this was where I belonged. I saw it in the smiling faces of the people and the beautiful buildings that made me feel equally nostalgic and eager to attend this university. This feeling still stands with me today, but now the smiling faces are familiar and whenever I see Carroll’s campus, I get an overwhelming feeling that I’m home.
Learn more about the Theatre Arts program
![Panoramic View of campus]()