2014
I was pursuing my master's in my late forties. I had moved to New York from the mountains of Colorado. I was looking for an educational theater master's program. The master's program in educational theater at CCNY was new at the time. I was thrilled to see that there was an educational theater master's program at CCNY. I had been an educator for 6 years by the time I was pursuing my master's, and the theater was my passion. I was able to pursue a passion of mine that I could integrate into my professional teachings of English and social studies. What I learned from the program was how important theater education was for student motivation and keeping kids excited about coming to school. I was able to focus at CCNY, and I was able to focus my study on theater integration and its impact on literacy in the classroom. I graduated in 2014 from this program and then eventually moved back to Colorado. My skills have guided my teaching since I was in this program. My experience at CCNY means transformation. It was an experience that transformed me at a time in my life where I was really looking for some change and rejuvenation. It made me realize that I was an artist and that not only was my artistry in theater and acting but it also was in my teaching, the very profession that I chose. Having that knowledge was powerful.