Additional additional information I do want to include--LOLZ--was that recording for Mara was such an absolute BLAST!!! It is always a pleasure to have the opportunity to voice a character outside of my typical "type cast." For a very long while, I did have an audition posted that I was pretty okay with, but to me, it wasn't there yet. Regardless, I kept the audition up because seeing myself as this powerful, strong, yet still feminine character deeply resonated and it brought me so much joy to see.

As a woman in a policymaking position, I find it a major struggle to make sure what I say is taken seriously. Within the last month, I was filming a TV PSA alongside my small student forum with the help from our two mentors; both women, and both have held state legislature positions. After the recording was said and done, we all received feedback, some positive, some negative.

My PSA rolled--it was said that the information was clear and concise, the points beautifully written and what I was explaining reflected my knowledge and competency on the subject. However, my fatal flaw with my speech was that I appeared overly emotive due to my feminine nature. I was compared to women in positions of power, women who have the spirit of an enforcer yet did not have the appearance as such.

These words have stuck with me since. I am a naturally curious and excitable person, yet I am also incredibly ambitious and calculated in both my speech and my actions. Thus, I combined the advice from my mentors and my skill in voice acting to study the role of how a powerful woman on both the outside and inside presented herself. I knew that part of me existed and the path to achieving her is clear, I just needed to make the steps to achieve her.

By practicing and studying Mara--an enforcer taken seriously by EVERYONE (including men)--it felt as though I was looking into a part of myself that I have been searching for for a very long time. As I began to record, I felt my words deliver themselves with confidence knowing that everything I was saying was going through someone who I know was being listened to and respected. I was able to embody the person I know is inside of me, and the person I know will one day take me very far.

In just 3 weeks, I will be flying to Washington D.C. to present to legislators in the White House. Regardless of whether or not I attain the role of Mara, I want to take her with me and use her as a tool to present a proposal to those "more powerful" than me with confidence. Acting as Mara makes me feel heard as a woman in a position of power and enforcement, for despite being surrounded by strong and influential men, she remains secure in herself. She does not fear her authority being overlooked.

Although my Mara might not be perfect yet, I hope to work with you and get her right! Thank you endlessly for the opportunity.