Lily’s Story
Team Sports
Lily grew up in Kutztown, PA, a small town where the prevailing belief encourages sports as the most likely path to college scholarships.
Although she played at least five sports herself, she also recounts the influence of her mother’s love of theatre.
“My mom would always take me to see shows, and blast Rent in the car. I was a five-year-old singing Rent at the top of my lungs.”
While she considers herself competitive and enjoys playing sports, she dropped them all during her freshman year of high school and turned to a different team activity—theatre. But she was drawn behind the curtain, not in front.
“I was always a tomboy growing up. And I didn’t realize that theater…behind the scenes is like building and construction work.”
(Photo above: Lily on the set of The Tempest, where she was Lead Technical Director this spring.)
Learning on the Job
Lily is now a junior pursuing a Technical Direction/Production Management concentration.
Her class of Design/Tech students arrived at Purchase just after the COVID pandemic, so they’re a smaller group by comparison. As a result, their workloads were heavier, which forced them to learn even more quickly than the typical immersive pace. The intensity created strong connections.
“They overworked us to the max, but it was like a good overwork,” she says. “My friends are die-hard friends. You don’t create these bonds overnight. It was a hard process to get there, but we all came out of it stronger. It’s kind of like trauma bonds.”
But all the stress melts away when the shows open.
“I look back on those things and think it might have been hard doing it and going through the process. But when people go and see the theater, it doesn’t matter anymore because they’re in awe of the show.
Real World Experience
A recent visit backstage at the New York City venue The Shed proved the value of the Purchase experience.
“I saw the backstage environment there. It’s exactly the same. It’s the same vibe. Every backstage kid is like, ‘What can I do to get this done and on?’”
The craziness is simply part of the process. “We’re always three weeks behind, and someone’s messing something up somewhere. But somehow it ends up working out.”
Scholarships Matter
Like many in BFA programs, Lily finds that the demands on her schedule prevent her from working part-time jobs.
That’s why scholarships are so necessary.
“Our program doesn’t really have time for us to work. So, this scholarship puts our minds at ease and lets us just focus on school. I really appreciate being able to focus on school without having to get like six other jobs to help pay for it.”
Looking forward to life after Purchase, Lily is grateful she won’t leave with crippling debt.
“My scholarship basically saved me from having to take out a crazy amount of loans. I hope to tour with a theater or a concert. So, without the added stress of paying back loans, I can just save money for my first apartment or something when I come back from doing that.”
Lily is grateful for the role her scholarship award plays in her professional development.
“It’s just been a big part of my life forever. So, seeing myself doing it in a professional capacity means the world. And knowing that being here is getting me there, like from point A to point B, is beyond words.”
The World Needs More Purchase People
Help Talented and Deserving Students Like Lily