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Corsican finds her calling in Michigan theatre

Soon after she arrived from Corsica, I asked Cécile how she planned to get involved with her school. “I don’t know. I’m not sporty,” she said, then looked discouraged as I rattled off the typical extracurricular activities. Nothing suited her. Cécile is full of depth, artistic passion, beauty, and sophistication beyond her years. After a brief pause to consider where this amazing girl would fit in, I exclaimed, “Ohhh…it’s theatre, Cécile! You must do theatre!” My enthusiasm was met with one perfectly shaped eyebrow raised in skepticism and the words, “You’re joking, right?”

Several weeks later I received this note: “Hi Kim! I thought you'll be glad to know that I'm a part of the next play of John Glenn! I was at the tryouts yesterday, and I had the results this morning.” Cécile had auditioned not just for a play, but for the high school musical! And the rest, as they say, is history. She soon sang and danced in the show Pippin, followed by a second role in The Addams Family. Cécile found her niche. Thanks to tremendous personal courage and trust, Cécile has discovered a new part of herself and a community of lifelong friends.

 —Kim Wolf, community coordinator (MI)