A Student Reflection - Fall Semester (Junior Year)

Dec 22

This first semester for me as a junior has been full of challenges and opportunities I will carry throughout the rest of my musical career. The majority of this semester has been spent working on our musical, “High School Musical: On Stage”, which will open at the end of January. Every PAA student is required to be a part of our school musical and I think that this is an amazing opportunity for students to get out of their comfort zones and challenge themselves. I am extremely grateful to be able to have played a supporting role in last year's musical Mamma Mia and that experience prepared me to play a leading role this year. Being able to play Gabriella Montez has been the highlight of my semester, and also my biggest challenge. Before this semester I did not see myself playing a lead and I have been pushed far out of my comfort zone with this role. I am so grateful that the directors and this program have pushed me and supported me throughout this process and showed me that I am capable of playing a lead role.

This semester I also started vocal lessons provided to me by the academy. My vocal teacher Emma Gunn has helped me make so much progress in just one semester. In my lessons we work on whatever I am struggling with at the moment and by the end of my lesson I have a better understanding of what I need to work on and how to work on it. My lessons have helped me so much with my confidence in my voice and I am incredibly grateful that the academy has given me the opportunity to take these lessons.

I have also participated in many helpful and educational workshops with my fellow academy members this semester. In the Performing Arts Academy we get the amazing opportunity to learn from teaching artists from all over California. This semester we have had Vocal Music, Dance, Instrumental Music, and Technical Theater workshops. These workshops give us the opportunity to see what it looks like to work in the professional world and be able to ask real professionals questions. As PAA students we get many opportunities like these throughout our time in the academy.

As juniors we have to balance our current work as well as start thinking about what the next few years of our life will look like. Our directors are incredibly supportive about what colleges we are thinking of attending and are always willing to answer any questions we have. Being in the academy has prepared me for challenges I will face once I reach the professional world and it has given me amazing opportunities and a strong support system as I finish out my final years at WCHS.

If you, or someone you know, are interested in finding out more about the West Covina High School Performing Arts Academy and the opportunities it can provide to high school aged students, feel free to visit our website at WCHSpaa.org or you can email us at WCHSpaa@wcusd.org.