Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Your Voice Project
Your Voice Project
Your Voice Project
I met her at age 7 I believe. She surprised me; I had never met someone quite like her -so
passionate, commanding, and confident. It shocked me even more that this play director was
me, that this personality was coming from my -up until then- timid, squeaky-voiced, towhead
blonde, obedient self. This play director was born in the cluttered basement in my old house.
Inspired by the stories my parents read to me, she dug through our plastic bins of dress up
clothes and old Halloween costumes, piecing together outfits, props and events into a makeshift
story line. I thrived as an amateur playwright, it was my time to direct, delegate and lead.
I did not hesitate to share my passion with my family and friends. Anyone who knew me when I
was younger probably has had to either sit through and endure a play or has acted in one
since they were thrown into a role by yours truly. The synchronized groans
became almost comfortingly familiar, every time I suggested putting on a play
(which was anytime someone new walked near the vicinity of my house). I pumped
out a play probably once a week. My patient parents sat through numerous
scenes, acts, plays, matinees, and stories, always applauding at the end.
I later learned the hard way that my aspirations were not hidden somewhere in a theater. After a
humiliating episode during a Northwest Children's Theater production of Peter Pan where I ran
onto stage in the wrong costume during a performance, I decided to move on from
acting. But that didn’t bother me, because I realized that this play director
attitude could really be applied anywhere in my life, not just in DIY basement
theaters.
I have always been proud of this stage director. She is my American experience. She is the
culmination of her supportive family, her white privilege, her education, her family’s wealth,
but also her hard work, dedication, drive, and passion. She is smart because of
her access to education, she is curious because her parents spoon-fed her STEM
opportunities, she is ambitious because her supportive family taught her to
dream big and she works hard because of the high expectations she as well as
her family set for her the moment she left the womb. I believe she embodies all
the values of an ideal American: hard work, drive, leadership, passion,
communication, honesty, kindness. I feel most American when she is in charge. I feel
all the hands of my childhood mentors, family, teachers, friends, idols,
experiences on my shoulder, guiding, supporting, cheering me on and applauding me.
She taught me that being American is not about the point when you
achieve your dreams, it’s about all the hard work and struggle you endured to
get there. And when I met the playwright, I felt as though she was someone who
would not stop at anything until her dreams were achieved. I have full
confidence that she embodies the ideals and morals I consider American enough
to reach her lofty goals despite being 5’2”. I know we will work closely as I go
through college, strive for my dream job and beyond.
But, see I don’t think I was born with this worry in my head. I think that
although 90% of my childhood friends, family, schooling, and experiences were
supportive of me and the stage director, that last 10% was society telling me I
was wrong. Most of the time it would just confuse me; why was I labeled bossy
when my male counterpart was just called assertive and a good leader? My
moments of doubt when I was the only female in the science classroom, or the
only girl raising my hand, due to the lack of proportionate women to men leaders,
CEOs and role models. Society, media, even sometimes people I knew, pounded an
idea into my head that women should not take on leadership roles, or are not
good at the skills I clearly embodied as a play director. This was very
conflicting for a tweenager to deal with. That is why I thought of the stage
director as a separate entity, something that I could channel in the
appropriate settings, but turn off when I could feel she wasn’t welcome.
ENG303/ENG304_S2_11_Unit Project
Assignment_Name_FirstInitial_LastName.docx
Responsibility
Exhausting
Standards
Family expectations
She . And though I speak of her in second person, I love those powerful mo