When he first began planning for college, Noah thought graphic design was his future. He studied it at the Bay-Arenac ISD Career Center before realizing an office setting just wasn’t for him. With the start of the semester right around the corner, he suddenly wasn’t sure what came next.
Then his mom suggested teaching.
Noah considered subjects he enjoyed, including history and science, before the answer finally clicked: theater.
“Once it was brought up that I could teach theater, which I don’t know why I never thought of it before, I just got instantly excited,” Noah said.
Now pursuing an associate in arts at Delta, Noah plans to transfer to Saginaw Valley State University to study theater and eventually become a high school theater teacher.
For Noah, that goal is about more than putting on a good show. His own experience acting and directing taught him what can happen when students are given space to try something new, take a risk and discover a different side of themselves.
"I want them to come in and be able to be themselves or be these characters that they never thought they'd be, find new things about themselves and just be free for the hour and a half that they're in my class," he said of his future students. "I want them to come in and leave with something they didn't have before."
Noah has already had opportunities to practice that kind of support at Delta. As a student ambassador, he helped connect students with campus activities and resources. The experience reinforced what he wants to offer to students someday. A place where different personalities, ideas and experiences are welcomed.
As he prepares for what comes next, he can sum up what he’ll take with him in two words.
“Confidence and independence.”
By Mikaila Bluew, writer & editor
