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What brought you to Fanshawe?

I chose Fanshawe college for my post-secondary education because the courses being offered in Theatre Arts Technical Production sounded exactly what I wanted to learn more about, after being bit by the theatre bug in high school. The alternative was a University program, but that seemed like a lot of essay writing, and why write about building something, when you can dive right in, and build it with your hands.

Tell us about your favourite Fanshawe experience.

I’ll be honest, I was confused that the program at the time was being held in the St. Thomas campus and not in London closer to the Grand Theatre, which has since been moved to London. However, it was nice being in a small town, since I’m from a small town, which allowed for greater focus on the studies, and it was easy to get around. As most of the instructors were currently working in the industry, and fellow students were a wide range of age, it was a great reflection of how it would be in the work force.

What impact has Fanshawe had on your life?

Fanshawe’s 2-year program was the perfect spring board into my theatre career. I didn’t want to spend years and years in school. In the summer between the years, I worked with our Construction Instructor building infrastructure for the college, which really gave me a sense of being a part of the institution. The course covered a wide range of subjects/careers within technical theatre, so I could narrow down my personal career path, while still gaining experience in the various departments, because that’s key to a great team dynamic when putting together a production.

What are you up to now?

I am a 3-time Daytime Emmy® Award winner, and a member of CAFTCAD (Canadian Alliance of Film & Television Costume Arts & Design) twice nominated in the Sci-Fi/Fantasy Category alongside heavy hitters like Start Trek Discovery and Series of Unfortunate Events.
In the recent past I have done speaking engagements with Fashion Talks during Fashion week, The Girl Expo and Fashion Group International Career Panel last fall. This fall, I’ll be presenting to students at Wychwood School on a career as a Costume Designer. When scheduling allows, I do ConEd courses because I firmly believe we should never stop learning.