I spent my second Thanksgiving in America in New Jersey this year. I enjoy being with my relatives in New Jersey. They are a happy bunch considering all the complexities of being a family and they always make me feel at home. We had lechon, pasta, pata, chicken, calamares and leche flan!

I've been working doubly-hard this year (compared to my first year, or even more than how hard I've worked when I was living in the Philippines - and even then I worked very hard). Even though I understand that growth takes time and that the fruits of the seeds I'm planning will blossom when I least expect it, I am very proud of myself. I am proud of the independence and newfound strength I'm discovering in myself as a working craftsman and I'm in awe in seeing how far I am allowing myself to go into the work.
I am also proud of the fact that I'm discovering where I can now anchor myself in. I have always been trying to find an "anchor" and I've been seeking that in people or concrete places which eventually leave me feeling stuck, abandoned or disappointed. Now thanks to my teachers I'm beginning to discover that my process, my way of working, my way of living can be my anchor. And it is something that belongs to ME.

This has been a difficult week for our community given the results of the 2016 US Elections. I am not comfortable sharing my thoughts and experiences here yet as certain feelings are still very raw. What has kept me grounded this week was the work. If there is one thing that has dropped in with me this week is that I've got a lot of work to do: as a craftsman, an artist, and a human being.

The future may be uncertain, and I may not know where my life will take me but I am grateful to have found a new family in Group 48. A group of people whom I can work with, grow with, explore with and hopefully, change the world with.

During Election Day, the third year students (Group 47) had their political speeches in front of the entire Drama Division. Each year, each student from the third year class gets to pick a political speech from a person of influence and apply voice and speech principles to it and then present them to the entire Drama Division.
I was utterly blown away by the work of Group 47. It fills me with hope that so much humanity, love and care exist within such young human beings.  I am looking forward to the time when it will be our (Group 48) turn to give political speeches and be able to get to know our own political voices more intimately.

Here are my most recent Juilliard Admissions Blog posts.