Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.
Projection design married my two loves, theatre and technology. Using computers to tell a story was captivating: as the future of theatrical design, I was immediately drawn to it. This past spring, I took on the challenge of designing both lighting and projections for our high school theatre company's musical, Honeymoon in Vegas. For years, I had advocated to bring projections to our stage -- adding it to our company’s repertoire would bring a new dimension to our stories.
Last December, intrigued by the possibilities of projections, I sold my director on the vision for the upcoming show. We entered the unknown together, her trust in my hands. In preparation, I researched how we could accomplish our plan; I called up Broadway designers and interviewed them about meaningful artistic expression and their creative process. I’d established a spirit of minimalism for the show that drove the lighting and projection work. Without realizing, though, I'd trapped myself into believing it would be simple. I'd been deceived by my technological hubris. We didn’t even have a projector.
With less than six weeks to go before opening night, I found myself searching for time as the tasks soon piled up. It didn't take long to realize the actual undertaking at hand -- I was in way over my head. Somehow, my crew believed in me. For the show, I assembled a team of creatives and dedicated theatremakers. We worked tirelessly in the computer lab with hundreds of tabs open and downloaded gigabytes of content that shaped our show. Their energy helped me find the confidence to continue. Sleepless nights emailing projector manufacturers came and went. I felt sorry for the front desk clerks who I’d call every day with the same pitch, but I had to be relentless.
One morning, I heard back. In the reply, an executive said they were impressed with my ethic and heart. They had a $10,000 projector -- the elixir we needed -- and would ship it to us overnight. Relief.
The projector arrived one week before opening night and made the show happen. Each challenge tested my character. I grew as a project manager and developed an aptitude for managing the team: I would delegate, splitting the most demanding tasks up into digestible pieces, optimizing for each crew member’s strengths and interests. We brought contemporary, creative energy to the show, and it soon came alive as we built the design image by image. Tasks flew by: image sourcing, projector optimization, computing infrastructure, art direction, content mapping. I called local stage riggers to help place the projector. A friend fabricated a mount to hang and secure our newest piece of equipment. As we finished the design, I redeemed myself, and the show sold out.
On opening night, before the lights went up on our first cue, I realized what it took to get us there: persistence, dedication, a trust within myself. Taking the risk to go beyond my comfort zone, I elevated our entire production and found an affinity for leadership. With the help of my team, the show became an overwhelming success. I grew into the leader I knew I always could be -- the person that pushed the envelope of what’s possible, the person who grew beyond the ordinary. With this experience, I've learned about what it takes to earn respect from my peers and how leadership is a two-way street. Working with a team on a major challenge has given me an understanding of how to collaborate with different personalities and skill sets. I explored my potential and saw what could happen when I have the determination to do more. I apply this learning to everything that I now do. Positioned at the crossroads of technology and art, Stanford is the ideal place to grow as a designer and a leader.