Her Campus Logo Her Campus Logo
The opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s own and do not reflect the views of Her Campus.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at SBU chapter.

Being in college, one of the many things I missed about high school is being on stage. When I heard that at the high school I was going to put on plays, musicals, had a chorus class and a dance class, I was the first one to show my interest in it. This forged me into becoming the major theater kid that everyone knows today.  

So, let me you take back to 2019. Olivia was just starting high school, wanting to try something new, but didn’t know how to do it. It was the second week of classes, and I was starting to get adjusted to dancing on stage for my seventh period dance class even though I knew I wasn’t the best dancer people could lay their eyes on. But the one thing I always had in my mind was that it doesn’t matter how many times you fall on your face as long as you are having fun.  

Obviously one of my favorite classes I had was chorus. My chorus teacher, Mr. Sperrazza, was a big part of my high school career. When I wanted to develop my singing skills, he was always willing to help me. If I ever needed someone to vent to, he was willing to listen.  

Every time I auditioned for my high school’s musicals, I always got ensemble. At least, I did until my senior year of high school. For my senior year musical, we were doing Cinderella, and I decided to audition for Fairy Godmother, one of the stepsisters, and their royal highness, the Queen. 

When the cast list finally got released, my jaw was on the floor. Getting the role as the Queen made me so happy not only because I connected with the character so much, but my chorus teacher told me I deserved it. Hearing that from a teacher you have always looked up to and recognizes how hard you worked to get something is always one of the best feelings to endure.  

One of the main things I miss about doing musical theater is seeing the audience after the show. Right after the one performance, a girl wanted to take a picture with me because I was her favorite character in the show. That is the one memory that I will never forget about my final musical performance.  

Although I haven’t been on the stage for over a year and a half now, I still remember the feel of the freshly polished hardwood floors like I was there yesterday. There are moments when I imagine hearing the crowd cheering while feeling the heat from the spotlight on my face. Even though I am not on the stage, that would be one of many homes that I will always want to go back to.  

Olivia Francis is a second-year member of the Her Campus at SBU chapter. She oversees the site’s culture, entertainment, and wellness verticals on the site, including mental health, relationships, TV shows, and movie coverage. Olivia is currently a second-year student majoring in Communications, Social Justice & Advocacy at St. Bonaventure University. Beyond Her Campus, Olivia has been published in many anthropologies over the years through an organization called Young Writers. She is also one of the leading coordinators for SBU's Break The Bubble. In her free time, Olivia enjoys writing poetry and short stories, along with taking walks while listening to her favorite music genres on Spotify such as Pop or R&B. One of her goals is to travel the world someday and explore new foods and customs. An interesting fact about Olivia is she is not only the first college gen student but, she is the first female in her family to go for a higher education.