June 3, 2004

A ‘Golden’ opportunity for one Leland student

By Miranda Schultz
Staff Writer

Leland’s Jessica Golden recently got news that she received a scholarship to attend the University of the Arts Summer Institute Theater Arts Program in Philadelphia, Pa. this summer.

The scholarships are given based on talent, in varying amounts—quarter scholarships, half scholarships and other merit scholarships. Golden, a junior and an avid participant in musical theater at Leland, received a quarter scholarship.

“I’m excited, and I’m nervous,” says Golden, who has been performing since the third grade. “It’s actually the furthest away from home that I’ve been alone.”

The program has many benefits. It gives students an opportunity to see what it would be like to study theater in college. Giving them a chance, beforehand, to see if the lifestyle will suit them.

“It will be a lot like attending school there. They start at 8 a.m. and end at 4 p.m.,” says Golden’s mother Patricia.

“I think this will be a growing experience for her where she’ll grow in her craft and have the opportunity to meet many other people from all over the country who love the things that she loves.”

Golden plays the piano and the violin, sings and dances. She attributes her initial interest to her older sister. “I remember when she used to sing songs that she learned in kindergarten. I was in preschool at the time and would jump in front of her and sing my ABCs,” says Golden.

She is excited to find out if she’s cut out for a life in musical theater. “I don’t quite know what I want to do in college. It’s either something with advertising and marketing, or musical theater. I know that I can do both; it’s just a matter of figuring it out. I think this is going to help me to decide. Either way, theater is going to always be a part of my life,” she says.

Golden happened to receive information about the scholarship program in the mail one day. “We’re almost positive someone scouted her at one of the performances. She has also had outstanding test scores, and before the PSAT test, they have to fill out some demographical information. We don’t know for sure, but we think it was one of those two things that brought her to scouts’ attentions,” says Patricia. “Regardless, I think the fact that the scholarship is talent-based, it has given her a new-found confidence as she begins her college search.”

Upon receiving information in the mail, Golden had to submit an essay and a letter of recommendation from a teacher. In addition, she had to send sealed transcripts of her last two years at Leland and a two-minute audition tape.

Golden is hopeful that this will give her a real-life college experience, and she has confidence that she will improve as a performer. But, she knows that theater will always be a part of her life somehow, “Hopefully, I’ll become famous, but that’s everybody’s dream,” she says. One never knows what’s in store.