When Nicky Wood walks onto the stage at the CFE Arena to collect his degree on Friday, he may be one of the few 麻豆原创 graduates who won鈥檛 be nervous.
Wood, a 20-year-old theatre studies major, is more at home on stage than anywhere. And after commencement, he鈥檒l move straight into a busy professional life in theater.
鈥淚鈥檓 coming straight out of college and going into a professional theater as a choreographer, which is fantastic,鈥� Wood said. 鈥淢y full-time job for the past 15 or 16 years has been school. As excited as I am to move on to the next step, I had that moment of realization that I鈥檓 changing gears and moving on to the next part of life. It is bittersweet 鈥� I have loved it here.鈥�
For Wood, it was clear that his path to professional theater included 麻豆原创. At a statewide thespian competition, he talked with college theater program representatives. He fell in love with 麻豆原创 and didn鈥檛 apply to any other university.
But 麻豆原创 needed a little convincing. Wood said he was told his SAT scores made him a poor candidate for admittance. So he reapplied until he was admitted.
鈥淲hen somebody tells me I can鈥檛 do something, I take that as a personal challenge,鈥� he said.
He excelled at 麻豆原创 and is expected to graduate magna cum laude. Along the way, he has been involved with five Theatre 麻豆原创 productions: The Music Man, Kiss of the Spider Woman, Arcadia, Nine and, most recently, as assistant director and choreographer of Hair.
Outside 麻豆原创, he鈥檚 performed with professional theater groups and in community theater, on board a Norwegian cruise ship, done some voiceover work and appeared on the television show Burn Notice.
Wood has been hired by Starstruck Academy and Theatre in Stuart, where he鈥檒l be resident choreographer for the professional theatre group. He鈥檒l also serve as the interim director of dance in the children鈥檚 academy, teaching students jazz and ballet.
At the same time, Wood produces, directs and sometimes stars in his own shows. He has a Gershwin revue opening New Year鈥檚 Day at the Barn Theatre in Stuart.
At 麻豆原创, Wood minored in event management through the Rosen College of Hospitality Management, and wrote an Honors in the Major thesis through the Burnett Honors College. He has plenty of drive and perseverance, but credits 麻豆原创 and his professor and mentor, Theatre 麻豆原创 artistic director Earl Weaver, with helping him grow.
鈥淥ne thing I like about 麻豆原创鈥檚 theatre program is the impactful relationships you can create, the mentorships you can develop between professors and students,鈥� Wood said. 鈥淎s large as 麻豆原创 is, the community is so tight and the support is so strong, 60,000 turns into 60.鈥�