I am honored to be a recipient of the Jimmy Gauntt award. Over the last few years, my English classes were my constant lighthouse, my constant sanctuary. They were a space of communion and creativity. I learned of the holiness of story – how it threads meaning in our lives, how it changes that meaning, and how it changes us. I also learned about the importance of being a creative reader, not just a creative writer. Good analysis requires that same openness and imagination. Who would have thought?
But on a deeper level, my professors taught me that to be a good reader one must first be a devoted practitioner of empathy. One must want to understand that bridge between the pages and the classroom. To be a better reader, one must try to be a better listener, a better person even. My teachers so taught me to find my strengths by being more attuned to those of others. I listened to others, whether characters or classmates, and in turn, I listened more to my own voice. One could say my English major was a constant cultivator of both camaraderie and individual growth. I learned to hone my confidence in my words but also in my silences.
The study of English also sharpened my understanding in my chosen career. As an actor, you want to be your character’s lawyer, not your character’s judge. And in my literature classes, I was always taught to defend, to debate, but never to judge. I was taught that there is always so much more to discover about people beyond what they seem, whether on the page or in the room. Talking story is key, inside and outside the major. Stories hold us and bring us together. Actors are storytellers and as such, they are challenged and honored by that responsibility. My English classes were a source of constant inspiration, always feeding into my work process on set.
So thank you to the mentors and friends I have had here at USC. I expected classes and instead I entered a space of communion with others and with myself. And for that, I have much gratitude.
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