By Nora Schindler

Olivia Houde is a junior at McCaskey, and deeply involved in the arts department in many ways. Over her three years here she has built her McCaskey experience on the stable music program we have on campus.

Starting in the marching band at the very beginning of high school she worked her way up to drum major throughout her years here and is also one of three stage managers who keep the McCaskey theater productions going smoothly. 

“I want to stage manage professionally.” She has really found her niche here which she goes in depth about. Her stage managing began at the beginning of freshman year before the first production she would have been able to be a part of. This gave her the opportunity to jump right into this role. When she thought about it, she decided it sounded like a really cool idea and has been stage managing her whole high school career since. She’s so involved in this aspect of the school and her name can be seen in programs for the play and musical on campus as well as musicals at the middle school. 

“I wish I could paint more,” she says. Her life really revolves around the school with being an IB student and heavily involved in extracurricular activities she wished she could tap into that physical creative side she doesn’t really get a chance to do much. She also expresses a little bit of sadness about  missing out on sports saying that she would’ve loved to be on the soccer team if given the chance. But she doesn’t regret her choices throughout high school. She loves the community she’s built around her and the paths she’s taken so far. 

“When everyone always says it goes by fast, they’re right!” She tells me about how odd it feels to get older. She realizes that she’s going to be a senior and is closing in on her final moments as a high school student at a school she’s put everything she has into. Despite that, Olivia has really found her place at McCaskey and is looking forward to pursuing her interests outside of her high school experience.