The one word that I can think of to describe high school is “in”: independent, individual, and inner importance. These are all traits which I have grown over the past four years at Cherry Hill East. My teachers, whether I liked them or not, were preparing me for the real world that lies just outside of our school.

As a freshman, I had almost instantly decided to jump right into D-Wing and join the group of people who were most like me. They were passionate, caring, driven and overall amazing individuals who were not afraid of expressing themselves. As I participated in shows I learned more about myself than I would ever have imagined possible. Now I can walk up in front of a group of people and perform without having any fear of being judged for what I do. At first, I had the stereotypical vision of being a lead performer on Broadway with my name in lights. Though that glorious vision still lingers in my thoughts there are one million other things I can do and know I will be good at doing because of the support I have from my friends and teachers. I don’t have to be belting a jazzy song in a packed theatre to know that my performance can impact people’s lives. I would be just as happy working in a small 100 seat theatre in Philadelphia as I would appearing on Broadway as the Phantom of the Opera. East has given me the knowledge I need to be successful in everything I do and its theatre program has transformed me into who I am today.