As the school year comes to a close, seniors are reflecting on what has made them who they are today. Many of these individuals are artists whose art has had a significant impact on their aspirations for the future. Although going to school for art is not very common, these seniors have pushed aside these societal boundaries and have taken a leap of faith to study subjects that many may think are unconventional.
With over a decade of experience in music, Wyatt Elzaurdia is striving to continue his artistic expression by studying jazz at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. At this school, Elzaurdia hopes to meet new artists and connect with others who share his same passion for music.
Elzaurdia started playing the saxophone when he was just in the fifth grade. After practicing and perfecting his craft for many years, Elzaurdia got the opportunity to perform in around five bands throughout his four years at the school. Along with taking the concert band class, Elzaurdia has had a hand in the marching band, YAMOrchestra, the jazz ensemble and multiple jazz combos. With his hefty musical experience and background, Elzaurdia could’ve chosen any genre to perform in, but his connection to jazz prompted him to continue pursuing the expressive music.
“I feel like it’s one of the only forms of music where you can express yourself through improvising…there’s just so much freedom and artistic creativity in that,” comments Elzaurdia.
Along with being heavily influenced by the improvisation portion of jazz, Elzaurdia claims that ETHS’ music program has allowed him the space to become the artist he is today.
Inspired by the need for more transgender representation in the acting industry and his mother’s appreciation for the arts, Ash Mullenix’s passion for acting has been a heavy factor in his college decisions. Mullenix is fully committed to the University of Southern California for acting. While he’s not studying theatre, a lot of the art Mullenix has experienced comes from theatrical performance.
“There’s so much creative freedom in theatre,” continues Mullenix, “I enjoy embodying characters and telling others’ stories as accurately as I can.”
Having a home on both the stage and behind the scenes, Mullenix hopes to further his experience with directing and writing shows, as well as performing in them. Despite his love for theatre and his childhood on the stage, Mullenix is aware that screen acting reaches a broader audience, encouraging him to expand his acting expertise from the stage to the screen. Even so, theatre will always be a heavy influence and reminder of Mullenix’s passion for acting.
Mullenix has been in nine ETHS plays, starting with “I Am Frankenstein” his sophomore year, and ending with this year’s musical, “Hadestown.” Mullenix’s experience in the theatre program at ETHS has led him to see the impact of theatre and art on young minds.
“ETHS helped me find friends who are into acting and has helped me find a community within theatre,” says Mullenix. The support and love Mullenix has received from our theatre community is what has drawn him to so many productions here.
“I want to spend my life bringing that joy that you get from walking out of a play or a movie to other people,” states Mullenix. The connection between audience and artist is something Mullenix hopes to directly explore as an actor both on the stage and on the screen during his college career and beyond.
Off to Pratt Institute in New York for fashion design, Lillian Roth hopes to continue their creative journey beyond the sanctuaries they’ve found here in Evanston. Growing up around fashion and enrolling in many fashion classes at the Evanston Art Center and SAIC, Roth has learned that passion is worth more than a paycheck when choosing a major or career.
“If you enjoy what you’re doing, the opportunities will follow you because you’ll have the motivation to keep going and get better,” comments Roth. In Roth’s dream world, their future would consist of working with iconic fashion designers like Jeremy Scott and being the head designer for renowned brands.
Their dreams for the future are diversifying the model industry to allow everyone to see themselves represented in the fashion world.
“I want to preface so much diversity in the models I’d choose, like size diversity, age diversity, race diversity and gender diversity. You don’t need to be feminine to wear a dress; men can wear dresses too,” says Roth.
Roth believes that studying fashion in college will help them make connections with fellow artists and professors that will allow them the experience they need to enter the fashion world. After college, Roth wants to see their clothing worn by celebrities at iconic events, like the Met Gala. Hopefully, Roth will find all the artistic connections they are seeking at Pratt Institute.
These three artists are among many here at ETHS going to college to pursue their artistic dreams. With persistence and passion, these seniors will make many differences for those in Evanston aspiring to follow in their footsteps.
