Being a political communication student at GW means becoming trapped in the whirlwind of classes, internships and the constant pressure to build a perfect resume. But as a senior, I’ve managed to keep my head up due to an unexpected reason: my participation in extracurriculars like student theater.
At first glance, participating in an extracurricular unrelated to one’s major might seem unproductive. How would performing in musicals and dancing around in the West Hall Blackbox Theatre connect to my career in political communication? But sometimes, the most valuable lessons are learned not in the classroom or the office but under the warm glow of a spotlight or behind the curtain of a student production.
My experience as a senior member of diversity, equity, and inclusion on the Student Theater Council and my previous role as the director of DEI honed my leadership skills and brought the significance of representation to the forefront. Try telling a group of passionate actors why we need to shake up our casting choices, and you’ll learn how to articulate complex ideas that resonate with people quickly. These roles aren’t just titles on my resume — they have been crash courses in advocacy, negotiation and public speaking.
When I interned at the Office of Rep. Sean Casten (D-IL), I drew on my student theater skills when drafting legislative correspondence or managing phone interactions with constituents. I would receive daunting quantities of new information that I had to reiterate to others, but as they say in theater, the show must go on. If a scene goes wrong, I had to think on my feet and lead with confidence in the face of uncertainty, and the same applied at my internship.
At my latest internship with Amtrak this summer, I helped the company respond to a critical service disruption in a way that acknowledged the implications on riders stemming from train delays or cancellations. As much as the corporate world seems organized, press releases would often need insanely fast turnarounds or events would be planned within a week. In these situations, the hectic nature of theater — from forgotten cue lines and delayed shuttles to the Mount Vernon Campus for rehearsal — prevented me from losing my calm.
Theater also eased the process of writing about personal experiences or complex subjects, like the Kenyan Femicide, when writing op-eds for the Feminist Majority Foundation, a nonprofit women’s group and magazine. The storytelling techniques I learned on stage now help me unpack ideas and express myself by leaving my comfort zone and articulating my opinions.
Beyond career skills, I’ve learned valuable life lessons about trust, respect, teamwork and genuine pride through my process of directing the full-length musical RENT with Forbidden Planet Productions at GW in 2023. Despite the struggle to produce a show — which included our leading man missing technical rehearsal because of a positive COVID-19 test — I have never been more proud of anything I have done.
And now, I have experience running and managing an organization with more than 30 members in multiple departments. College can be overwhelming, and the pressure to academically excel can take a toll on your mental health. Remember that extracurriculars should alleviate stress and make college fulfilling. Choosing to make space for your passions, quirks or guilty pleasures is integral to developing as a human being — even when those pastimes don’t directly connect to your career.
So, to all my overachieving, sleep-deprived, career-obsessed peers: Take a breath. Join that club you’ve been eyeing. Write that weird experimental short story. Not only will it keep you sane in the pressure cooker that is college, but it might be the thing that lands you your dream job.
Trust me. When you’re writing speeches for the future president — a girl can dream — you’ll be thankful for every Canva graphic design, every late-night rehearsal, practice or meeting and every moment you spend doing what you love.
Aaliyah Guzman, a senior majoring in political communication, is an opinions writer.
