Rylee Vogel is a performer with a love for musical theater. She also loves communication and how it connects people. Now, these two degrees will help her make the girl way in show business.
This December, Vogel will graduate with a degree in conversation, a minor in theater plus the distinction of earning the William W. White Outstanding Graduate Award. This particular honor is bestowed to the student graduating with the highest GPA in the College of Media, Communication and Information. After years of hard work—sometimes even holding multiple jobs at once—Vogel is graduating having a 3. 96 GPA and plans to move to New York City.
“CMCI has really taught me how to have [personal] conversations in the real world and how to walk into an audition or a job interview and be confident and know how in order to communicate with people well, ” she said. “It makes you stand out when you are walking into that room. ”
Vogel was initially attracted to communication because she had an interest in law as it seemed a good combination. But she soon realized that will wasn’t a path she wanted to pursue. Instead, the girl enrolled as a double major within communication plus musical theatre.
Then the particular COVID-19 pandemic abruptly interrupted her freshman year. Suddenly, she and her peers were sent home, zooming into class, trying to connect over the screen. Not long after, her two majors began conflicting, plus it became apparent that keeping the dual degree would tack on more time in school.
“I realized I could start working [in the theater] instead associated with spending a good extra year, ” the lady said.
After a meeting with her counselor and determining that she could get her theatrical training outside the classroom, she decided to keep her major in communication and change her movie theater studies from a major to the minor.
Vogel maintained the girl full course load while auditioning for plays in the area. She furthermore landed a job at the Candlelight dinner theater, sometimes working up to 40 in order to 60 hours per week.
“I found, even though it wasn’t school-related, my comm professors were very, very helpful in making sure that my career was able to get started outside of class, ” she stated.
She chose communication, inside part, because of its practicality: In addition to performing, she’ll be capable to do media marketing or public relations, especially with regard to theater companies. The combination can help her performance career be more sustainable, she mentioned.
“CMCI has really taught me how you can have [personal] conversations within the real world as well as how to walk into an audition or a job interview and become confident and know exactly how to get in touch with people well…. It can make you stand out when you are walking in to that room. ”
Along the particular way, she’s found unexpected moments associated with joy through studying the topic. Although the girl never took a formal family conversation course, the lady found elements of communication theory in the girl other classes that offered new insights into family dynamics.
“I’m very family members oriented, ” Vogel said. “Anything that will dealt along with family communication, I always found really, actually fascinating—the way that families speak with each other, just how different families are built and what the effects of that are. ”
Beyond that, Vogel discovered her studies in conversation actually help her be a better performer. She connects using the audience, director, castmates and even the characters she plays at the deeper level, all due to the fact of the particular lessons she’s learned about communication styles.
“You can find different motivations regarding each character through connection and conversation, and then on the personal side associated with it, you’re able to connect with directors and castmates to understand what their point of view is, ” she stated. “For instance, intimacy will be an interesting thing on stage. Understanding how the other person is feeling, what their process is as an actor, and having these conversations is super important. It’s communication that’s able in order to actualize that will. ”
For her, it’s an honor to be recognized by the college that has given her so much support.
“Throughout my time here, time and period again, CMCI is supporting their students in ways which are not traditional, plus I appreciate that so much, ” Vogel said.
