WINTER, WI — After 24 years of tying shoelaces, teaching phonics, and navigating the high-energy world of kindergarten, I thought I had seen it all. I knew how to handle a room full of five-year-olds. But when I was asked to step in and help the Winter High School Drama Club, I felt a sensation I hadn’t felt in decades: pure, unadulterated terror.
"Big kids" were uncharted territory.
The club was in rough shape. They had recently lost their advisor, and the roster had dwindled to just three dedicated members—two of whom were already seniors on their way out the door. It would have been easy to let the curtain fall on the program entirely.
But as I looked at those three students, I saw a reflection of my own past.
Overcoming the Odds
Growing up poor in a large school district, extracurriculars were a luxury I couldn’t afford. Between working from a young age to help my family and facing the staggering costs of school sports, I never had the chance to belong to a club or a team. I knew exactly what it felt like to be on the outside looking in. I couldn't let that happen to these kids.
Realizing I couldn't do it alone, I reached out to an enthusiastic community member who had actually been a part of the Winter Drama Club during her own school days. Together, we rolled up our sleeves and got to work.
Our first challenge? Putting on a show with a cast you could count on one hand.
We took a skeletal script of Alice in Wonderland—which featured a grand total of just three pages of suggested dialogue—and tasked the students with bringing it to life. Through sheer imagination and grit, they stretched those three pages into a fully realized, 30-minute stage production.
It wasn't a Broadway masterpiece, but it was theirs. They had created it from nothing.
The Magic Behind the Curtain
Yet, the true magic of this season didn't happen under the stage lights. It happened in the quiet moments of rehearsal.
"Every day I waited for something terrible to happen. Every day they exceeded my expectations and showed growth and leadership."
This group became the self-proclaimed "misfit toys" of the district. They were the kids who didn't quite fit into the standard boxes of high school life. But inside the safe walls of the drama club, they found their tribe.
They encouraged each other when lines were forgotten.
They rolled up their sleeves and problem-solved when props fell apart.
They worked harder than anyone expected them to.
Most importantly? They were allowed to just be kids.
A New Act Begins
As an educator, I will happily admit when I am wrong. I underestimated these teenagers. I came into this journey to teach them, but instead, they patiently became the teachers. They showed a skeptical kindergarten teacher just how cool it is to be a part of a team.
Today, the Winter School Drama Club is no longer just surviving; it is a catalyst for change. Those same students are now eager to volunteer, step up in their community, and get back on stage to create something fun and unique all over again.
The script may have started with only three pages, but the story these kids are writing for themselves is just getting started.
July Jubilee Parade: Winter School Drama Club