Humanities, Visual and Performing Arts

The theatre department is incredible; through it I have found my calling and career. I am so fortunate of the foundation Graceland provided me. Graceland is special because of the relationships and traditions they stem from. Once you make it to Graceland, you're one of us and we're all here for you; a worldwide network of supportive, passionate and kind people who all smile in the same language!

I chose Graceland because I wanted something different than your 'quintessential college experience.' I loved that I was able to have a more personalized, one-on-one education with some truly unique professors as well as many opportunities to take my education abroad. What makes Graceland special is the relationships you leave with and the connections you will continue to have throughout your time after graduation.

Graceland taught me how to love others and be loved, and this is a massive reason why I am successful in my teaching career. Graceland's values of belonging, empathy, democracy, and community taught me to connect with and solve problems with others, and the countless leadership opportunities and activities taught me how to balance working with others with taking care of myself, my time, and my needs.

The Communication program at Graceland truly prepared me to articulate my thoughts, feelings, and opinions. I was also given the tools to write professionally and academically – laying a groundwork to go many different directions following graduation. We discussed complex topics and had open discussion throughout my four years at Graceland, giving me the tools to have sensitive conversations in a tactful way.

My professors taught me many things but the greatest universal lesson that I learned was the lesson to never stay still – that as humans we must always be asking the question: why? We must always be pushing against common norms or assumptions. Only by doing this can we hope to make our world a better place.

How has receiving a liberal arts education personally changed my life? Dipping my toes in a range of different topics has pushed me out of my comfort zone and allowed me to gain knowledge that I never would have obtained otherwise. Not only has taking classes outside of my major broadened what I carry inside my brain, but it challenged me to keep an open mind, view topics from different perspectives, think critically and become self-reflexive ... All these things have greatly impacted who I am as a person and how I think about the world.