The excited hum of the audience gradually fades to silence as the soft lights illuminating the auditorium melt to darkness. The absence of noise is instantly replaced with a tangible anticipation. The crowd holds its breath. Waits.

Stage lights slice through the black.

Senior year is a time where students begin to apply to colleges and narrow in on the path they wish to travel on into adulthood. Some students have goals of becoming successful doctors; others wish to pursue law. Many students even plan on careers in teaching. These professions do not appeal to all high schoolers, however. For some, their dreams may lead them to a movie set, or to a conductor’s view of a symphony, or on stage performing for a large audience.

Shayna Gilberg is one of these teenagers.

From landing the starring role in the PHU drama program’s 2017 rendition of Cinderella, to being a finalist for the Broadway Star of the Future award, IB senior Gilberg has already achieved more heights in her 17 years than some could conceive. Furthermore, the devoted thespian has both qualified for and won the Walker’s Rising Stars scholarship, a feat sure to pay off in future years.

It all started with a drama camp at the Dunedin Fine Arts Center in the summer after her third grade year. Ever since then, Gilberg has been infatuated with all things theater, stating that it’s her true purpose and that without it she doesn’t know what she’d be doing.

“It opened up so many doors for me,” Gilberg said, looking to her performance last year in Cinderella as the turning point for her career.

She credits the musical for providing her with a myriad of opportunities and the recognition that she is on the right path in life.

By those who know her, Gilberg is lauded as a vibrant, bubbly individual.

“She is the kind of person that looks out for the best interests of others,” said Jeanna Heezen, a friend of Gilberg and fellow IB senior at PHU.

“I like to say that she encapsulates the joy of life,” Kelsey Morris, another friend from Gilberg’s childhood and a senior in IB, said, “I’m excited to see what Shayna does in the future.”

Both girls also partake in the arts and hold similar values to Gilberg, particularly regarding her motto: Never give up.

“Right when you are starting out, it can be difficult,” said Gilberg, “especially when you don’t get a part you want.”

The thespian has kept true to her motto and has subsequently accumulated a total of nine years involved in drama so far. However, she has no plans of stopping there.

“I want to pursue a degree in musical theater,” Gilberg said, adding that University of Michigan is her first choice, though she’s also considering Florida State University and Elon University.

“I aspire to be a performer, to act and be a part of touring groups,” Gilberg said.

She points to Lin Manuel-Miranda, American playwright and actor, and Laura Osnes, an actress and singer known for her work on Broadway, as her inspirations.

“They’re doing what I want to do. I look up to them.”

Some high schoolers believe that their purpose awaits beyond medical school. Others plan on finding this purpose after law school. They may even find it in a classroom or in a foreign country halfway across the world. One thing’s for sure. Gilberg is already on the road to pursuing hers.