Stage Presence

By Braden Delannoy ‘13

For Sam Hood ‘17, stagefright wasn’t a concern.It was leaving the stage that was the scary part.

Hood, who graduated from OLu in June, was a jack-of-all-trades when it came to the performing arts. In fact, the Nechita center stage became less of a platform to showcase her talents and more of a second home.

During her four years in high school, Hood spent one year in Women’s Chorus, one year in Concert Choir, two years in Honors Choir, was a member of the Vocal Jazz Ensemble and Creative Worship Team, and was a cast member of 10 Nechita Center musicals and plays.

Hood hopes she left a lasting legacy on the arts programs and on OLu as a whole. As if that wasn’t enough, at the conclusion of her senior year, Hood was named the female Spirit of Christ recipient, was awarded with the Nancy Paul Teaching Scholarship, and was recipient of OLu’s Lancer Award.

But what might be most impressive is her desire to give back, which is why Hood will attend Concordia University, Irvine to become a teacher, with the goal of having a lasting impact on students’ lives, the kind that OLu and its teachers have had on her life.

Hood’s unique and widespread involvement centered around Orange Lutheran encouraging students to be dedicated to academically rigorous classes, take advantage of extracurricular opportunities, and be involved in campus life. After moving from Seattle, Washington, Hood had a lot of fears and anxieties about fitting in at a new school. The transition was not without its challenges, but she started to realize her potential through her time in choir ensembles and in plays and musicals.

Hood gave credit to Director of Vocal Music Megan Carvale and Associate Director of Vocal Music Dan Vu for helping her acclimate to her passion for singing and to the school as a whole.

“Mrs. Carvale was an amazing example of teaching your students and simultaneously loving them, even when it’s hard. And Mr. Vu was one of the first people to believe in me.”

Some would say the Nechita Center stage is simultaneously a safe haven, proving ground, and place of discovery for many Orange Lutheran students, giving them the chance to express themselves, find what they love and develop their passions.

For Hood, her first major role at OLu was playing Wendy Jo in Footloose during her sophomore year, a role that set the stage for the rest of her high school performance career.

“I loved that role because it was so high energy and featured a lot of unique dance moves. It pushed me outside of my comfort zone in a lot of ways.”

Hood’s favorite role was also her most eccentric and one of her least demanding, when she played the Dragon in Shrek: The Musical.

“Even though I was only on stage for a few minutes, I was able to have fun and showcase my personality and love for the performing arts in such a unique way.”

In reflecting on her past four years, she said she’d like to be remembered as “the person who holds herself in a light that makes people feel comfortable and makes everyone feel known.”

"The beauty of the arts is its ability to bring people together no matter their circumstance. It's truly a family."