If there’s one thing you can say about Rosemary Cipriano, it is that she is not a quiet person. You might first notice this from her booming laugh, which is usually accompanied by unabashed seal-esque clapping. “I won ‘Best Laugh’ in high school,” she says. If you don’t notice it then, you’ll figure it out the moment she spontaneously belts out an R. Kelly tune.
Depending on whom you ask, this junior is known in a variety of ways—as Student Government Secretary, as a passionate theater major, and as “First Lady” of Queers and Allies (American University’s premiere LGBTQ pride group). She loves horror movies, exploring DC, and cooking Italian food for her roommates. She says, “My dad likes to say the eggplant doesn’t fall far from the tree.”
When asked about her position as SG Secretary, Rosemary joked that she wishes her title could actually be something like the “Chancellor of Communication.” “Most people don’t know that my job isn’t typical ‘secretary’ things,” she explains, “I don’t take notes or file papers. Instead, I lead all communication and outreach efforts for SG. I manage a bunch of directors who deal with social media, marketing, and press. It can get pretty crazy at times, but overall it’s a great experience.”
Rosemary is also an active ally to the LGBTQ community. “My best friend Tyler is Executive Director of Queers and Allies, so I’ve been dubbed First Lady,” she says with a wave that could rival the Princess of Genovia. “I attend most of their events, and I’m training to be a Safe Space Workshop facilitator.”
Theater is Rosemary’s greatest passion and she dreams of one day pursuing it as a career. Most recently, she performed as the narrator in Steamystery, an original children’s play put on by the Department of Performing Arts. “It was so cute—all the little kids were laughing and screaming the whole time, and one even asked me what it’s like to be a ‘real actor,’” she says. In addition to acting, Rosemary loves to write plays and sing, particularly Aretha Franklin, Lady Gaga and Beyoncé.
“Beyoncé is my spirit animal,” Rosemary says. We don’t disagree.
(Photo credit: Emily Zabaleta)