Teen’s destiny is interior design in the theatre

Angelica Maria McKenzie, 19, has just started her sophomore year at the NJIT. Angelica is continuing her excellence in academics with honors and as an award winning theatre set designer, she has great dreams with regards to the Great White Way. Angelica, who performed recently in NJIT’s Thoroughly Modern Millie production during her spring semester, said that the she loved theatre, singing and music. She added that she was blown away by the set’s design, which had revolving doors and amazing light. The Theatre Department also impressed her and she feels confident that she in the right place for growing her interests and to learn the skills in interior design.

Angelica Maria McKenzieAngelica said she had not yet received any technical training, and she felt like interior design and acquiring a Masters in Architecture was a way for maneuvering herself in the field of theatre where she would get a secure job. She added that she wanted to create big sets that would move and ones that would win awards. Angelica has seen a continuation of the family history: her mother, whose name is also Angelica, was involved music and the theatre and her sister, crystal, was also a Jersey City School District’s VPA student. Angelica’s smartness in the arts is thus a tradition in the family.

For her success, Angelica could rely on the positive encouragement of her mother. She said that parents have to support their teens through encouragement adding that they need to tell them that they can succeed. Angelica also said that being a teenager, she knows that she can help the community by making a difference. She added that regardless of how young she was, she is still capable of having a huge impact on other people.

One of the ways that Angelica lives the constant principles of service is in her responsibility as a counselor of Honor’s Camp. Angelica says that honors students run the camps for the inbound freshman students in order to orient them to NJIT and the places where they can interact with the other students. She also adds that in addition to helping them to transition into the college, they also become friends with the new students, who can call them anytime for help in case they have a problem.

To her surprise, Angelica has discovered that college is much more like in High School. She said that the teachers actually care about the students and they want one to do well, just like in high school. She however cautions that in college, it is the students who must have the desire to excel otherwise success will elude them. Angelica also said that the only way you can accomplish or feel happy with one’s self is at the only time you are doing your best. She adds that if one is just skating by, at no time will you be contented with one’s self.  She encouraged others to prove to themselves that they can make it, adding that the inspiration must come from within one’s self.

Angelica is a positive testimonial about the impact of doing the best one can.

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