“ Back-to-School” by Stacey Ardelean
12 Incite / Insight Board Perspective
Summer / Early Fall 2018
The Journey
“ Back-to-School” by Stacey Ardelean
As a kid,“ back-to-school” meant the start of a new journey: A new year with a new teacher, learning new things. It was also a chance for a renewal. New school clothes shopping, where the significance of the clothing changed each year, was a big part of that journey. In the primary grades it was a necessity to keep up with my growing body. During the middle years, it was about wearing the right clothes to avoid teasing, blending in and being accepted. In high school, it was all about finding my style, which looking back was not stylish at all! Levis, hoodies, and Nikes were all the rage – thank goodness evolution continues. School clothes shopping symbolized a refreshed“ me,” who was ready to face the challenges and adventures of another school year.
During college, the“ refresh” took a more economically sustainable turn. It was around this time that the“ materialistic” nature of my refresh started to feel less important. It was the feeling of new possibilities that capturing my attention. – Experiencing the school year / summer job cycles continued to include these“ material” symbols marking a time of fresh starts, but now it was a new backpack, a new pair of shoes or a new toolbox for my stage manager’ s kit. What I failed to realize during college was that my studies in all that rich children’ s theater history, discovering playwrights like Harold Pinter and Jean Genet, and the magic of working with a brilliant department chair had become new annual moments of inspiration. My real rejuvenation came from interesting classes, challenging productions and inspiring professors. Finding new playwrights and different kinds of theater fed my passion. Years later when I went back to graduate school; every course, classmate, and teacher taught me new things about teaching, about the art of theater and about myself. Although I must admit, two and half years of grad school“ renewal” almost did me in!
Running parallel to my education, the journey of my career has also continued to be a source of rejuvenation. Early on, the start of the school year, the summer camp season or a new production signified an opportunity to start anew, apply what I’ d learned and buy a new highlighter! Occasionally, I still would indulge in a new outfit at the beginning of the school year just to capture the sense of new beginnings and endless possibilities. However, my real joy was how the cycle of each new project brought that feeling of embarking on a new journey. Every experience we have along our path teaches us difficult lessons, humility in the face of brilliance, and the thrill of selfdiscovery – sometimes all in the same