I started costuming at NEYT in the fall of 2013 as a timid 10-year-old. All I knew about costuming was that it involved fashion, and all I knew about the theatre was that I liked the productions I had seen with my family. However, so much has changed since then and it has changed for the better. The more time I spent at NEYT, the more I wanted to stay. I began costuming 2 shows a year, then 3 shows, and sometimes even more than that. As the years passed, it wasn’t just my enjoyment and love for costuming that grew, my abilities, and passion for everything relating to the theatre grew as well. With each show I costumed, I became more confident in the work I was doing and was also given more opportunities. I worked my way from student, through designer and apprentice, to co-costumer of an entire show. My want to get more involved led me beyond the world of costuming, to taking a few dance classes, directing in the 2020 10-minute play festival, and becoming an active mentor.

It is true that over the past 7 or so years I learned how to costume, however, the most important thing I got out of my time at NEYT was a place where I felt like I truly belonged. The theatre became like a second home to me and the people like a second family. It became a place where I could strengthen my appreciation for and immerse myself in fashion. I was my true self because everyone there was just as silly and passionate as me. With each day I spend at the theatre, the more right it feels and the more I grow as a person.