That’s All She Wrote – My Undergrad is Done.

UNDERGRAD: CHECKI have officially finished my courses as an undergraduate student. It all happened so quickly. It all happened for a reason. It was one hell of a wild ride. The last four years have been some of the most challenging, exciting and rewarding of my life. I’ve grown immensely as an artist and human. I have big goals moving forward and I can’t wait for the future.

My dad helped me move out of my apartment the other day. That apartment was a huge part of the university experience for me. I didn’t live there all four years but it was a safe haven with two incredible people. The three of us have been a constant for the past two years. We’ve watched people come in and out of each others lives but at the end of the day we were always there for each other (even when we were arguing). I love them so deeply and I’m so thankful to have had their support when I fell down (literally & figuratively).

My university journey started in Toronto where I met Char. I met some awesome people at York University and learned a lot that I took back to Halifax with me. I just finished my degree in Acting and I feel so grateful. I got to follow my passion at university. I got to work hard in the studio every single day. I’m so thankful to have been on my feet and learning in the moment for the duration of my degree. Literal blood, sweat and tears went into this undergrad. I accomplished things that I never thought were possible and that gives me a lot of hope for the future. I was surrounded by a supportive class that became family, and top-notch professors and mentors. It was a privilege to play and learn with them every day. I have danced, sung, run around the studio at top speed and performed in some incredible productions. To Louise Mitchell, Mrs. Shaw, Ribbon Girl, Sasha, Lady Townley, Mae and Jaime – thank you. I have had the honour of bringing you all to life and play. Thank you for teaching me so much about myself, my craft and the world around me. This degree has been the biggest blessing. My gratitude is immeasurable. I can’t wait to see what’s next. LET’S GO.

During my degree a lot happened. I look back on the memories and have an abundance of them flowing through my mind. I have travelled a lot. I lived in Spain one summer. I got to study in the Czech Republic. I backpacked Europe and Morocco with one of my best friends. I have visited friends from St. John’s to Vancouver to London to Edinburgh to Spain to Cuba to New York City and back. Traveling has given me an entirely new perspective on the world around me and I can’t wait to keep exploring it. It has informed who I am as an actor, writer and as a person. I’m lucky, yes, but I also worked my ass off for every single one of these trips. I worked SO many different jobs during my undergrad. The hard work pays off in all aspects. Keep working.

I also faced a lot of adversity. We all have a lot of difficult things going on behind the scenes and it’s so important to acknowledge how much you’ve overcome. I was sick during my degree – a lot. My second serious concussion hit me like a ton of bricks and knocked me down for a long time. Sitting in a dark, empty room for weeks on end gets old pretty fast. Times like these made me realize how important it is for all of us to take care of our mental health (because we ALL have mental health). I also got diagnosed with an autoimmune disease and a bunch of allergies. It has been a lot and I’ve been at my lowest at times as well. I’ve lost some important, lovely family members and I’ve watched some people I really care about get ill. There’s been a lot of other “stuff” too but it doesn’t deserve a mention because look how far we’ve come!!! It has been a rollercoaster to say the least but I wouldn’t change any of the “hard stuff” because without it – well, I wouldn’t be me.

To the people I met along the way – thank you. Thank you for loving, for leaving, for being beacons of hope and for showing me what I deserve. I wouldn’t be who I am today if I hadn’t met and interacted with every single person in my life. I keep saying it but I don’t think I could possibly feel more love and gratitude for the people in my life.

To apartment 1116: It was absolute freedom. It was 2 years of growth, triumph and failure. We’ve chased mice around the living room, passed out from exhaustion on the floor in a pile of giggles and sat on the kitchen counters playing the spoons until 2am. This place has been a home to not only my roommates and I but to all those who have visited from all over the world. I have had some of my best memories in 1116 and I’ve also experienced some of my worst. It’s been a wild, wild ride. I’m so unbelievably grateful for the strangers that became friends that became family. These walls hold the stories of the last 2 years. What feels like a lifetime of experience packed into those 730 days. A collage of new and old. A scrapbook in my mind. I have truly danced like no one’s watching in this place, laughed harder than I have in my entire life and also cried harder than I ever thought possible. But I lived so hard and freely and wildly. This place taught me about responsibility, what’s important to me, what I’ve learned from my mistakes and how to keep moving forward. I have learned lines and choreographed dances in the living room. I have slumped into bed after a full day of work, classes and rehearsal to find a safe place to lay my head. I’ve had cake for breakfast (once, okay) at the kitchen table. And curled up with my best friends and the people I’ve loved in that cozy bed overlooking the ocean. These memories are everything.