When AJ Schwartz ’26 moved to Chicago to study theater at Loyola University, they found more than the right degree program in The Windy City—they also found their creative community. After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in 2017, Schwartz served as a freelance director and arts administrator for some of the city’s most notable storefront
Category: Student Profiles
While Zahra Freedman ’24 was always surrounded by music as a child, she often felt like it was being placed in front of her through structured experiences like classical piano and band lessons—not like she was intentionally moving toward it. Instead, she enjoyed creative writing, participating in national writing competitions and developing short stories on
When Minh Hà Millie Lê ’24 was young, she imagined a career as a difference-maker. A Vietnamese third-culture kid, Lê has always been curious about people. She participated in student government and served as student body president, volunteered, and was part of Model United Nations, hoping to one day serve on the United Nations (UN)
With a fascination for film and an undergraduate degree in economics, Yuhan Liu ’24 felt like she was always looking for common ground between her studies and her love for creative industries. Although she was studying finance in college, pursuing a bachelor’s from Beijing’s University of International Business and Economics, she didn’t forget how much
Growing up, Ali Almansour ’24 could often be found amid groups of students who were eager to hear him read his latest short story or pore over a journal entry he had written over the weekend. “I’ve always felt like writing is my superpower,” says Almansour. “I love using writing to tell people about experiences
Growing up in Beijing, China, education for Kexin (Virginia) Liu ’24 was more about theory and less about practical application. This teaching approach wasn’t the best fit for someone who preferred to dance instead of study.
Rachel Garoon ’24 sometimes feels like she speaks music better than she speaks English. In addition to playing a slew of instruments ranging from piano and violin to clarinet, she also sang in middle school and high school. “It was a high school choir teacher who, upon hearing me sing, said, ‘I think it would
When he was only 14, Ugochukwu Achara ’24 moved from his home country of Nigeria to the United States with two goals in mind: to accelerate his education and to play soccer. He attended private school for a year before finishing his high school diploma at Berkshire School in Massachusetts. From there, he came to
Being on stage in Brazil is where Isabel Lima ’24 wanted to be most as a child. Landing her first musical theater role when she was only eight years old led her to seek out any creative classes that put her in the spotlight: dancing, acting, singing. As a preteen, she even starred in two
Rashida Anderson-Abdullah ’24, who now goes by HP Sherie (The Headbanging Princess) to symbolize her transition from politics and journalism to music and entertainment, grew up in a family that bonded through music, often watching awards shows together on television. Through those experiences, plus her fascination with a handful of rock and heartthrob bands during