Why I Am Majoring in Theatre Arts by shanay

Why I Am Majoring in Theatre Arts by shanay - April 2025 Scholarship Essay

I am majoring in Theatre Arts because I want to use acting to make a real impact in my community. Acting is not just about being on stage or in front of a camera—it's about expressing yourself, telling your story, and connecting with others. Growing up, I saw how many kids around me had natural talent, creativity, and big dreams, but they didn’t have access to places where they could learn acting or even explore the arts. Most acting schools are in places like Manhattan, where the programs are expensive, and the environment doesn’t reflect the people from my community. It’s mostly white, and it's hard for someone from a minority neighborhood to feel like they belong there.

That’s why I’m choosing Theatre Arts—not just to perform, but to create opportunities for others. My plan is to open a chain of acting schools in minority neighborhoods, especially in Black communities. These schools will be affordable, welcoming, and filled with diverse teachers who look like the students and understand their lives. I want kids to walk into an acting class and feel seen and understood. I want them to be inspired by someone who shares their background and tells them, “You belong here.”

A lot of times, kids from underserved communities don’t think they can make it in fields like acting, because they don’t see people who look like them succeeding, or they just don’t have the money to even try. I want to change that. I want to bring the arts directly to them—not just through performances, but through education, mentorship, and real opportunities. Whether a student wants to be a professional actor, a director, or just someone who wants to build confidence and express themselves, my schools will give them that space.

Majoring in Theatre Arts will give me the skills and training I need to build this dream. I want to learn how to act at a professional level, how to direct, and how to teach others. I want to study different techniques and styles, and understand how to bring out the best in people through performance. But more than anything, I want to learn how to lead—because I know that opening these schools won’t just be about talent. It’ll be about building something meaningful, something that lasts, and something that gives back.

This major is more than a career path for me—it’s my mission. I want to help people from communities like mine find their voice, tell their stories, and believe in themselves. Acting saved me in many ways—it gave me confidence, purpose, and a way to express feelings I couldn’t always put into words. I want to pass that on to the next generation. I want to build spaces where they feel powerful, creative, and capable.

There’s a lot of talent out there that gets ignored just because it doesn’t come from the “right” zip code. I’m going to change that. That’s why I’m majoring in Theatre Arts—and I’m excited to see where this journey takes me and the communities I serve.