My passion

Words Lucy Jolin

• Photography Kate Peters

And incredibly, she also finds time for drawing, painting and photography. Her passion for the arts enables her to develop other skills, too: from being more confident in front of an audience to looking beyond the horizons of her world view. “Drawing and painting have taught me how to be more aware of the world and what is going on,” she says. “I have done a lot of expressive paintings of real-world issues and problems.”

And, of course, the arts are deeply collaborative. Plays, choirs and films: all these are only possible when people with different skills and personalities work together towards a common goal. It’s no surprise to hear that Rylee’s favourite moments are all about the relationships the creative arts help to build.

“The Dancing Queen song and dance moves will forever be in my mind from the arts festival last year,” she says. “But I also enjoy singing at church with my Dad. We sing together and it makes me so proud and happy to lead people in worship. When I was doing the plays and the movies, I loved being at the rehearsals, hanging out with my friends. I remember a lot of laughter. There was never a dull moment. It was always fun – even the challenging moments.”

Right now, her future career is up for grabs – but whatever it is, she’s sure that it will include her passion for the arts, even if that’s behind the scenes. “I’m pretty sure it will lead me to fun and success, no matter in what form that is,” she says. “I’m thankful that ZIS provides opportunities to help me learn new things and express myself through the arts. It’s truly my passion. And now that we have the new building, I have a lot more room to paint, dance, sing and act – oh yeah, and learn!” Z