student spotlight
Tara Burchmore All The World’s A Stage
Community School senior Tara Burchmore. Courtesy photo
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BY JONATHAN KANE
ara Burchmore, a Community School senior carrying a 3.9 grade point average, has a lot going for her—the least of which is being accepted early to Dartmouth College, which she will be attending in the fall. Beside being a standout star of the stage, Burchmore also started the debate team at the Community School and is captain of the cross-country running team. Finally, she has an incredible plan for her senior project—she will be interning at The Center for Compassion and Altruism at Stanford Medical School, where she will help study the neurological effects of being kind, both internally and in a social setting. Burchmore was born in San Francisco, and family moved to the Wood River Valley eight years ago. “We were looking for a better lifestyle, which we found,” Burchmore said in an interview. “For a place so small, there is such great culture here, with art and theater. Also, I love skiing, and it’s so amazing to have this great mountain here. My main memories of San Francisco were of sitting in traffic. Here it’s just a really special community.” Burchmore started attending the Community School in eighth grade after attending Hemingway Elementary and Wood River Middle School. “I thought going there would be a better match for me, especially the theater program,” she said. “I love it there, especially because it’s a place where we are all very close as people. You can argue strongly with classmates in class about things like affirmative action and still remain close friends and be sitting together at lunch. Even though I start-
ed in eighth grade I already pretty much knew everyone, so fitting in was easy. The teachers there are also so great. They are approachable, and are so passionate about what they are doing that it’s really inspiring.” Burchmore’s favorite subject is English literature. “It’s just a great way to universalize human nature,” she said. “I enjoy reading because you can connect with anybody.” Her favorite novel is “This Side of Paradise,” by F. Scott Fitzgerald. “It’s about a boy growing up and a coming-of-age book that kids can connect with because the struggle of growing up is very relatable,” she said. A great deal of her time is spent pursuing her love of the theater and acting. She has been in every Community School production since she’s been in the upper school and this fall played the lead in the musical “Guys and Dolls.” When she was 9, she played Tiny Tim at the nexStage Theatre’s production of “A Christmas Carol” and has played numerous parts in the show since. “I guess my favorite show would be a tie between ‘Guys and Dolls’ and ‘Grease,’ ” she said. “I prefer musicals because I love to sing. ‘Grease’ was incredibly fun because it was my first time with a big role and I loved standing up and singing a song and the show was very well cast. In ‘Guys and Dolls,’ I loved being the lead. It’s a classic and everyone should see it because of its powerful message that you shouldn’t judge appearances. I guess I love theater because it’s so much fun to be able to share the story. Doing a show at the school you spend so much time with your best friends and then it’s amazing to show your classmates all the hard work you’ve put in.” tws
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T h e W e e k ly S u n •
december 31, 2014
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