Welcome to The School of the Cathedral, a Catholic School in Baltimore, Maryland for students in preschool through Grade 8. As part of our mission to foster our students’ spiritual strength in the Catholic faith and to challenge them to achieve academic excellence, our admissions team is highlighting a new student each month to showcase student life, and the many possibilities available to your child. Today you get you meet Amelia, a Middle School Student currently preparing for the Spring Musical.

Hi, I’m Amelia, a seventh grader at The School of the Cathedral. For the last couple of years, I have had the opportunity to participate in our Middle School Musical. I have found this to have such a positive impact on my life. The development of friendships, self-confidence, and a well-rounded school experience.

When I first started participating in the school musical, I was newer to the school. I had only been there a couple of years and the pandemic made it hard to develop relationships with others. When the play started up, I found myself making connections with those I wouldn’t usually have a chance to talk to. The play includes a range of grades, so it opened opportunities to socialize with others. I have made so many friends from the musical, and I honestly couldn’t be happier. We all share the same commitment level and it’s fun to be friends with people outside of your classes. Another great part of it was that nobody judges you. No matter how big or small your role is, everyone is each other’s cheerleader. The whole goal is to put on an amazing show as a team.  There is something so energizing about working together towards a common goal.

Aside from friendships, I have also found the musical to be a huge confidence booster.  I consider myself to be on the shy side, I try to take opportunities, but I feel as if I don’t put myself out there as much as I should. Last year I tried out for a small part so nobody would judge me, but later found out that nobody would judge me either way. After performing as Tommy, in Matilda Jr., many people complimented me. They said my singing voice was beautiful and that they think I can go much further with my talent. After taking what they said into consideration, I later went for a bigger role. In this year’s Beauty in the Beast, I decided to go for it and try out for a lead role, Belle. After my first audition, I was amazed to see that I was one of the few people called back for Belle. This shocked me and I felt very proud. It turns out I ended up getting the role and couldn’t be happier playing Belle. I find that playing a role, any role really builds your stage presence and general self-confidence.  A few years ago I never would have imagined being the lead in a play.  Cathedral allows me to feel comfortable enough to try new things and put myself out there.

Lastly, the opportunity to be in The Middle School Musical provides a well-rounded school experience. Not all kids are interested in playing sports, some prefer other activities like the arts. I believe that The Middle School Musical lets kids be recognized for their other talents aside from their athletic ability or academic achievements. All kids get the equal opportunity to shine with singing, and dancing parts for all. I know that the musical has given many of us a chance to showcase talents that we take pride in.

To sum things up, My cathedral arts experience has been phenomenal. There are so many great aspects to getting involved in the arts. I believe it helps portray everybody in a special way.  Kids should feel that a school is a safe place, a place to learn and experiment. Cathedral makes sure everyone has an opportunity to shine in so many different ways. My middle school experience couldn’t have been better thanks to the hard work and dedication of all teachers and extracurricular activities.  I couldn’t be more proud to be a Mustang and will never forget my amazing middle school years.