Special to The Swellesley Report courtesy of the Wellesley High School Bradford and Parents of Performing Students (POPS). This is one in a series of POPS senior profiles we’ll be publishing.

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Both inside and outside of the Performing Arts wing at Wellesley High School, Nora Jarquin ’22 has dedicated her time at the high school to building a better community in the department. Jarquin participates in numerous performing arts offerings, from chorus groups, including the Keynote Singers and the Rice Street Singers, to the selective a cappella group, Ladies First, to winter and spring musicals.

“I stay involved because of the community. All these activities have given me my best friends and a place where all types of students collaborate and bond over a shared love for music and art. I love feeling connected to every person I share these experiences with and feeling a sense of place,” said Jarquin. 

 

Dr. Kevin McDonald, the choral director at the high school, has witnessed Jarquin’s commitment to those around her. “What makes Nora different from most is her passion for making this place better. It isn’t just about her‒she was trying to make it better for everyone involved, and she was successful in doing so. She is wanting to leave a legacy here that carries on for younger singers. She took an enormous amount of responsibility on herself to build up singers not just as singers but as people, so she has had a real lasting impact.”

Jarquin’s parents signed her up for piano lessons at the age of seven, which she continued until her sophomore year. Along with playing the piano, she joined the chorus at the middle school and began acting in eighth grade. But observing the high school’s performing arts community was what encouraged her to continue after middle school. “Hearing, standing, and singing with the high schoolers as an eighth-grader is such a crazy experience because the middle schoolers are very quiet when they sing,” said Jarquin, “And then all of a sudden, you’re surrounded by all these older kids who actually sing loud, and are having so much fun, and it makes you want to do it.”

Jarquin auditioned for both Keynotes, which focuses more on classical music, and Rice Street, which is a jazz group, and was in both for three years. This year, she was an intensive for Keynotes. Dr. McDonald noticed how exceptionally committed she was to these groups. “Nora came in with that love of singing and that love of performing, and a desire to do well. She leaves never having ever given less than 150,000% each and every day, in each and every class, in each and every rehearsal.”

Jarquin appreciates the interconnected communities that have been a part of her high school musical experience. “[Keynotes] became this massive family. And it’s really awesome because we spend time in class together and then we perform together. And most of us are in a cappella groups too, so we see each other outside of school,” said Jarquin.

She auditioned for Ladies First, an all-female a cappella group, at the beginning of her sophomore year and remained in the group for the next three years of high school. “You see how much fun these people are having when you see them perform. I remember seeing Ladies First before I was in it, and they were just so cool [and] having so much fun and you want to be a part of that so bad,” said Jarquin. “And so I immediately was like, ‘Yep, I’m auditioning.’ And I just love spending time with it and making connections and Ladies and Keynotes are unlike any other class in school.”

In her senior year, as the Ladies First music leader, she can choose songs that the group sings. For example, in October she arranged songs by Ariana Grande and Iggy Azalea for the group to perform in a small concert. However, Dr. McDonald has noticed that her abilities as a leader go far beyond the music she arranges. “To me, leadership comes with two things, the desire to serve and the willingness to sacrifice, and the way that Nora went about her business is that, because she was so generous with her intentions of wanting others to experience joy and wanting others to experience success, she put the focus on other people.” 

When faced with the challenge of COVID, which had shrunk performing opportunities significantly, fellow Keynotes singer Lucy Calcio ’22 was impressed by Nora’s commitment to ensuring that everyone participating would be able to experience a full year of choir. “She dove in head-first when it was getting really difficult, she ran the Instagram, she would tell all her friends to sign up for the chorus classes, and her dedication to recruit more people and get people to come to the concerts really built up the environment this year,” said Calcio.

Jarquin was also able to think creatively, coming up with activities that were both COVID-friendly and effective in developing the musical skills of students. 

The virus, however, was not the only challenge Jaruin faced in her time at the high school. After participating in the musical, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, her voice started to feel tired. “Instead of letting it rest, I just kept singing on it, which was a learning curve on my part. And when you do it again and again for like, multiple weeks at a time, it [creates] calluses,” said Jarquin. When Jarquin finally went to the doctor, she was diagnosed with nodules and lumps on the thyroid. She did vocal therapy for eight months and eventually had surgery to remove these lumps. Jarquin could not talk or sing for two weeks following her surgery.

In her most recent musical, Mamma Mia!, she played understudy Donna. “I’ve never had a lead role like that. And it means a lot after having come such a long way with my voice,” said Jarquin. Despite the challenges she faced because of her surgery, Calcio noticed that being able to overcome this obstacle so well helped her develop as a singer. “Seeing her get back into it, while taking care of her voice, her confidence has grown so much,” said Calcio. “She has grown from being a person who did choir freshman and sophomore year, to being a leader in everything she does and taking a front position.”

Jarquin is continuing her performing arts career at Washington University, where she will be majoring in Global Studies. She hopes to join an a cappella group and perform in musicals in college.

Article written by WHS Bradford Staff: Adam Juma ‘23

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Special to The Swellesley Report courtesy of the Wellesley High School Bradford and Parents of Performing Students (POPS). This is one in a series of POPS senior profiles we’ll be publishing.

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Few students can claim an ardor for performing arts as strong as Lucy Calcio’s. A member of Wellesley High School’s Class of 2022, Calcio has shone during her time in the school as both a singer and performer, being an integral part of groups including Renegade A Cappella, the Keynote Singers, and Song Sisters, and the Improv Troupe.

From a young age, Calcio loved performing, taking dance classes and dancing competitively in elementary school. In sixth grade, she started doing plays at the middle school, falling in love with theatre. By the time she started high school, she took to singing, participating in the plethora of singing groups at the high school and taking private voice lessons to improve her vocal techniques.

 

 

 

In her time at the high school, Calcio has participated in many plays, but the ones that stand out to her were Everyone Get Eaten by Sharks and New Works,  some of her very first. “Everyone Gets Eaten By Sharks was my first speaking role as Sweet Bonnie at the high school. With this play, the cast got to participate in the METG festival, and it was such an amazing experience. New Works was a process where the Juniors cast Freshman in self-written plays. I was one of those freshman, and working closely with an upperclassman was a huge learning experience, as well as tons of fun,” said Calcio.

Outside of school, Calcio has also worked with the Wellesley Theatre Project, where she performs in many summer and winter productions. “This Summer, I was in Legally Blonde, and I got the opportunity to play one of my favorite roles, Brooke Whydham. I learn so much from WTP and have amazing friends who also love theatre,” said Calcio.

Beyond her love for performing onstage, Calcio also enjoys doing work behind the scenes, such as writing her own one-act plays. “Last year, I got an honorable mention in the Sherwood Collins Playwriting competition for a one act [play] I wrote called A Dating History,” said Calcio. “I also won the Massachusetts Educational Theatre Guild All-Star Actor Award in my sophomore year.”

With all this success, Calcio is tremendously thankful for the teachers that enabled her on the way. “Ms. Sullivan has been an amazing teacher and guide as I have navigated theatre in high school. I have also learned so much in my a cappella group, in acting class with my fellow Acting 4 Intensives, and from my other Improv leaders. Finally, I have been blessed to participate in our wonderful choral department under Dr. McDonald all 4 years of high school,” said Calcio.

On a personal level, Calcio has also learned invaluable lessons from performance, experiencing both the thrills and challenges that it has to offer. “Performing arts has taught me how to take risks and be vulnerable,” said Calcio. “You put all of yourself into a song, monologue, or scene, and a lot of times you have to deal with not getting chosen. Being vulnerable onstage as I try to make the audience laugh in Improv Troupe or audition for a solo in a cappella has made me grow so much as not only a performer but a person. I have gained confidence and learned how to view rejection as not a failure, but as an opportunity for something else.”

As college approaches for Calcio, so does an abundance of new opportunities. Although Calcio does not plan on pursuing a theatre degree in college, she hopes to continue her passion for performing arts however she can. “Theatre and performance is something I would never want to give up. I plan to audition for college a cappella groups, one acts, choirs, and to keep theatre in my life,” said Calcio.

Article written by WHS Bradford staff: William Liu ‘24, Tate Bannish ‘24, John Battaglino ‘24.

 

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Special to The Swellesley Report courtesy of the Wellesley High School Bradford and Parents of Performing Students (POPS). This is one in a series of POPS senior profiles we’ll be publishing.

Nick Ashraf ’22 believes there is a clear difference between an inspiration and a supporter. To him, an inspiration could be anyone, such as Chris Evans, the actor who portrays Marvel’s Captain America. A supporter, however, is something stronger to Ashraf. The biggest supporters in his life are his family members. Although they may not be personally interested in theatre themselves, they will undoubtedly come to every show and support Ashraf in pursuing his goals.

Ashraf has been participating in theatre since around first grade through his senior year of high school. At Wellesley Middle School, Ashraf was a part of his first school show where he first got a taste of the on-stage buzz from performing multiple days in a row.

From the beginning, Ashraf has been inspiring those around him, especially viewers in the audience. In a separate interview, Nora Jarquin ‘22, one of Ashraf’s close friends and a fellow performer, describes the role he played in influencing the beginning of her personal performing arts experience. “You can tell that he’s put his whole soul into his performance. So I hope to do that too with my work after watching him do it for so long and be so seemingly competent—knowing himself so well that he knows how to put himself into these things.” says Jarquin.

 

Entering high school, Ashraf became increasingly involved in the performing arts community. He found passion and joy in being part of the close knit community at WHS and quickly found a strong group of friends. 

“I think both in general and at the high school, it’s really inclusive, and you can always find some smaller group that you’re friends with and make really close friends. But then overall, you’re always friends with everybody just because you see each other every single day for like five hours a day,” said Ashraf.

Not only has Ashraf found a community within the Performing Arts department, but he has found a creative outlet for himself. Acting is his way of releasing pent up emotions and learning how to empathize with people through his characters. “I think it’s my way of expressing myself. If I’m having some sort of off day, I always try to think of how I can bring it to rehearsal and use it. Especially if I’m super angry about something and then I have a scene where a character starts yelling at somebody, then I’m going to be actually yelling,” said Ashraf.

While being able to escape into the world of theater may help Ashraf when times get hard, having a supportive figure gives the additional backing that one may sometimes need. Kara Sullivan, the drama teacher at Wellesley High School, is like a second mother to Ashraf. Their close knit relationship has grown from middle school all the way up to the exciting college acceptance phone call. “He’s a very feeling person. He very much wears emotions on his sleeve, which is a really great thing for him. I’ve seen him learn how to balance his drama in life, which we all have. Being able to separate the drama on and off stage is sometimes hard to do, especially at the high school level,” says Sullivan.

Throughout his experience, and especially during junior year, Ashraf has supported and mentored younger singers, especially those in his a cappella group, Inchordination, where he provides the same guidance he was once given by older singers. However, he is also able to bring out a sentimental and vulnerable side to teachers. “He’s taught me to be more vulnerable, and he’s taught me to recognize that everybody has a story and when you walk into a room. You don’t know what that person’s story is,” says Sullivan.

To Ashraf, leaving Wellesley High School is a bittersweet feeling. He feels that the Performing Arts department has nurtured his love for acting, but he also feels ready to take on new experiences and challenges. “The department has kind of made me who I am both as a person and a performer,” said Ashraf.

Ashraf will be attending New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts this coming fall of 2022 as part of the class of 2026. He hopes to continue to pursue his goals of acting through theatre performance.

WHS Bradford staff: Clementine Zei ’24, Special Projects News Editor, and Fiona Zhou ’24, Staff Writer.

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Special to The Swellesley Report courtesy of the Wellesley High School Bradford and Parents of Performing Students (POPS). This is one in a series of POPS senior profiles we’ll be publishing.

Molly Gandler began singing in the fifth grade choir at Upham Elementary School, and since then she has considered herself a musical person and approached everything from the angle of music. Even her interest and passion for acting comes from a musical perspective, leading her straight into the musical theater field.

This year, Gandler is a music leader and soloist in Renegade A Cappella, along with performing in the Rice Street Singers and Song Sisters. She was cast as Sophie, a dream role of hers, in the high school’s winter musical, Mamma Mia! The show premiered for audiences in March. Gandler also played Margo in Bright Star and has performed in MMEA district festivals. Most recently Gandler was awarded a special citation “in recognition of outstanding musicianship” at the MAJE jazz festival (where the Rice Street Singers were also awarded a gold medal).

 

 

Despite her impressive resume, Gandler says, “I was really, really shy when I was a freshman and I had a really hard time talking to people. Over the past couple of years, I feel like I’ve become super confident, and I’ve found myself within the performing arts community. I’ve also become a mentor for the younger kids and I never thought I could have seen myself becoming that. Now I have a lot of kids who look up to me, and I’m really grateful to have that,” said Gandler.

Gandler’s courageous attitude coupled with her fierce determination to succeed drives her in every aspect of her life. She admits that she enjoys challenges because they make her a better person. “In my sophomore year, I ranked high enough to audition for this festival called senior districts. But, my choir teacher ended up sending a junior instead of me because he thought she would probably go farther, and I would have more years to keep trying for it. I remember being really upset about that, and thinking that I worked so hard for that audition. Just last year, I finally got my chance to audition. And I ended up getting into senior districts and then into All States, and then Nationals, and I went really far. I remember being really proud of myself and how hard I pushed myself,” said Gandler. 

Gandler also has a passion for playing the guitar, which she has been doing as a hobby since she was in sixth grade. “I have this beautiful red acoustic guitar that I bought when I was maybe 13 or so. I actually did maybe ten or so gigs at farmer’s markets. One of them was a porch fest and I think I learned a lot about myself performing through that. I had performed in a group before with the support of others around me, but then I was just in my own place in front of a crowd. It was really scary at first, but I found a lot of confidence through that,” said Gandler. 

Gandler’s peers in the performing arts community admire her talents. “Molly has an amazing ability to switch between styles, whether it be singing classically for a district audition, musical theater for the show, or jazz with Rice Street. I wouldn’t even say she has the main style since she’s equally amazing at singing all of them. It’s not something that’s very common in high school singers or any singer for that matter,” said Alexandra Hoskyns ‘22. 

Gandler has been inspired by a number of performing arts pieces over her years as an artist, but one that uniquely stuck out to her was the Broadway show Come From Away. 

“I think I was just really amazed by it because it was so much more of an ensemble piece than any other musical I’d seen. That’s kind of when I realized that shows and the world don’t always revolve around one person. It’s a whole collaborative effort. I think that show just really enlightened me on that and kind of made me find a new love for theater and also kind of helped me delve into my love for bluegrass and that style,” said Gandler.

As for someone she looks up to in her everyday life, Gandler immediately thought of high school choral director, Dr. Kevin McDonald. “D Mac is probably my greatest mentor. He’s always super encouraging and pushing me to do stuff and I’m just so thankful that I have such a strong mentor in my life like that. Someone I look up to musically is probably Sierra Boggess. I’ve never known how to say her last name, but she’s on Broadway. And I think she and I have a very similar voice type and character type. So I’ve always looked up to her and the roles that she plays and like seeing myself like, hopefully, in her shoes someday,” said Gandler. 

Another of Gandler’s close peers, Nick Ashraf ’22, respects her commitment to her craft, her kindness and overall what a joy she is to work with. “Molly brings a kind of personality to the table that nobody else does. That personality that she has makes every performance feel more sincere in a way. When she’s in a play, her characters feel real, and you watch a person living their life rather than someone playing a character. In concerts, she sells every solo like she wrote the song herself. It feels like she feels the emotions that are being showcased in the song.”

Gandler will attend the University of Wisconsin-Madison next year and plans to double major in theater and business, with a minor in music. She hopes to continue performing in musicals and plays, and is looking forward to auditioning for Madison’s a cappella groups and choirs.  

“I mean, everyone’s goal is to change the world in some sense and if I can do that with my passion, through music, that’s kind of the goal,” said Gandler.

Article written by WHS Bradford staff: Eva Wall ’22 and Madeleine Merowitz ’23.

 

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Special to The Swellesley Report courtesy of the Wellesley High School Bradford and Parents of Performing Students (POPS). This is one in a series of POPS senior profiles we’ll be publishing.

Maddie Stith ’22 is an actress, a singer, a New Yorker, an ex-soccer player, but more than anything, she is a dancer. From the outsider’s perspective, a dance is just a sequence of choreography meant to please the eyes of an audience, but for Stith it is so much more. “My dance experiences have taught me to put myself in the spotlight more. It has pushed me to be more of my authentic self and to be more open, both with other people, and myself,” said Stith. 

Stith has been formally training as dancer for more than a decade, since the age of four, first at a professional dance school in her hometown of Brooklyn, N.Y., and now as a part of the high school’s dance company, Moving Company. Throughout her dancing career, Stith has honed her skills in all disciplines of dance. From ballet and modern to K-Pop and African dance, Stith is a dedicated dancer who is devoted to broadening her repertoire. “Maddie is a dancer who will try anything. She is not afraid to put herself out there and try something new,” said Director of Moving Company, Janet Sozio.

 

Stith has participated in Moving Company since moving to Wellesley for her sophomore year. Although most performances were canceled due to COVID-19 safety measures, Stith has participated in both guest artist- and student-choreographed works, and during the 2020-21 school year, she joined the Moving Company in a collaboration with the middle school Moving Company to create a music video. Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, Stith has still managed to grow as a dancer.

“Maddie had the opportunity to work with a professional choreographer and dancer on a group piece. She was unsure at first of the type of dance he was asking of the students, but she dove right in and took a risk. She stretched herself beyond how she perceived herself as a dancer and got to work collaboratively with her fellow dancers,” said Sozio. 

While the Moving Company took a hiatus this year, Stith worked to maintain and improve her skills as a multi-faceted performer by joining the high school’s production of Mamma Mia! as a singer, dancer, and actress. 

Aside from her technical improvements and tangible successes as a dancer, Stith’s experiences in the Moving Company have helped her grow into a more expressive version of herself while doing something she loves.

“I like dance because it makes me feel confident and allows me to express myself in ways that I wouldn’t be able to otherwise. I like to express myself through movement, and dance has provided an opportunity for me to bond with people,” said Stith.

Her enthusiasm for music and performing translates into her interactions with her teammates. Although Stith is known for being a talented dancer, she is also revered as a supportive teammate and a kind friend. “One moment that stood out to me, among many, is when one fellow dancer was working on a piece that was very personal in nature that told a story about her school experiences, some of which were not very pleasant. Maddie not only listened with empathy as the student described her piece, but also reflected back the emotions the student was conveying,” said Sozio. “She danced in the piece as well and offered creative ideas as well as emotional support throughout the process.”

Stith’s involvement on dance teams and her dedication to the craft over the past many years has helped shape her into the outstanding person that she is today. In this way, as she worked to improve her talents as a dancer, dance has in turn given her confidence, enthusiasm, and opportunities to lift others up that will undoubtedly serve her in the future.  “Maddie’s strengths as a dancer and company member are her willingness to try anything and take a risk, her ability to connect with others on a personal level, and her love of dance that motivates others to love dance too,” said Sozio. 

In addition to her love for dance, Stith is passionate about art in all its forms. She particularly enjoys painting and drawing. In the future, she hopes to continue to develop as a dancer in college. One day, she hopes to try choreography and start her own dance program. 

Next fall Stith will be attending Mount Holyoke College where she plans to study Psychology and African Studies.

Article written by WHS Bradford staff member Kaelyn King.

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