When I was in middle school I had so many ideas of what I wanted to do when I grew up. One happened to be acting. My mom looked up all these things online for me to do in our area. One thing led to another and I got an audition for Barbizon, a modeling and acting class in Davenport. I was ecstatic and nervous at the same time because this meant I would have to be out of my comfort zone in front of many people that I did not know and ever since I was little I was very shy. When I walked into the building to audition, all eyes were staring at me as I slowly took my seat with my mom. As soon as they called us in to talk to the judges I could feel my stomach drop but as soon as my mom and I stepped in front of the judges I did not seem nervous anymore, in fact I was comfortable around her and at that moment I knew that I could do this.

A week later we got a call from them and they spoke to us about all the things I would be doing if I did make it through. It was very hard to understand her as she was talking very fast, but I understood the only thing I wanted to hear.

“You made it through.”

Those words replayed in my head when I was eating.

“You made it through.”

When I was watching TV, “you made it through” and even when I was trying to sleep it was in my head “you made it through.” I was more excited than nervous now, but I knew I still had to walk into that class and introduce myself for the first time. A month later it was the start of the first day of this class, I was running around my house wondering what to wear, how I should do my hair and makeup and soon enough, we were going to be late. Being late on the very first day of this class would be like being late on the first day of your new job because all eyes are on you and you will get a lecture about it sooner or later.

Although I knew we were late, I did not feel quite as bad as I saw we were not the only ones who were running late as well, but being late was the least of my worries. My biggest fear was to open the doors and be seen by people my age, older and younger than me, looking at me, judging me. As I walked in I got my name tag, filled out some papers, and handed them in, I got more nervous by the second. When I walked up to the door all I thought was this is it, my make or break moment. I walked through the door and everyone just took a glance at me then back to the floor. It turns out everyone was thinking the same thing as me and to me that was a relief because I was not prepared for this moment at all.

Some may describe going to this modeling and acting class for the first time the best first day or school, but for me it was the worst first day of school. Just like school you have to meet your new teacher and the new students in your class, although it was not that bad because no one knew each other. My only problem was I was probably the shiest one there and did not want to talk to anyone, but as we introduced ourselves I got a little more comfortable with the situation. I also had no idea how to act. Should I be classy? Myself? Funny? All these things were running through my head as I wasn’t even paying any attention to what the teacher was saying as I was just trying to figure out what I should say. As it was my turn to speak I could feel my hands get all sweaty and my knees were starting to shake.

“Hi my name is Caitlyn,” I said as I stood up to introduce myself. The hard part was over, now I just sit and watch what the teacher does and tells me to do. 

The first thing she had us do was write down whatever she was doing, which was walk up and down the runway. How to pivot and turn, stand up straight and look forward. Seemed simple I thought, until I did it in high heels. Almost tripping and falling on my face I got my balance back and walked off. We did this every Saturday and Sunday for almost two months along with some acting and it was the moment I have been waiting for. Graduation. It took almost five hours to practice what we were going to do, pick the songs and what to wear going down the runway. It was finally here the day I say goodbye to my teacher and my new friends. I was sad and happy at the same time as it was time for graduation to start and the start of something new for me.