In a small highschool, surrounded by five drama classmates and my eccentric theatre teacher, one thing was clear to me: I wanted to study theatre. I graduated from the American Community School of Abu Dhabi in the UAE and moved to Chicago for college soon after. I felt ready to leave the Middle East behind and study the art I loved - but the world had other plans. 

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As the pandemic hit, my classes took the live and in-person experience of theatre and moved it to the digital world. As theaters everywhere shut their doors, concern grew over whether American theatre would survive at all. Though at first I struggled with the change, I also rediscovered a love for stories through different mediums. What began as something tedious became an exciting new field with endless possibilities. I felt more connected to the world, and witnessed as theatre became more accessible and creative. 

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As a result, I applied to DePaul’s combined degree program for a master’s in digital communication and media arts. Now in my second year of the program, I understand storytelling across media to a much better degree. Although I can’t bring myself to get rid of my shelf of theatre books and drama anthologies just yet, digital communication has allowed me to seek creativity elsewhere. As I look towards the future, I hope to land a job in the museum or non-profit sectors, working on content strategy and digital marketing. Information everywhere can be brought to life with the help of the internet and emergent technologies.