Senior Spotlight: Jenna Makuen (12-3)
Gavriela Kalish-Schur (11-4)
What is your favorite memory from your time at Masterman?
I think I would say Spirit Week. I think it's one of the major moments at Masterman where the students come together and cheer for each other and love each other and I think it's really great and really builds the community. All the times that we were in the auditorium cheering and laughing at something are the best moments.
You were involved with the musical this year. What was your favorite part about that experience?
I joined the musical because I never had before. I have a musical background and I always wanted to try musical theater. I didn’t know any of the people in the musical before and I got so close with them and now I feel like they are friends for life. I love them. I think being around such talented people that have the same interests as me is really nice. In the musical everyone is so nice and they all have their own talent that they are adding to the musical. It makes it a good environment and a good community and I loved it a lot.
Photo courtesy of Jenna Makuen (12-3)
You have a musical background and you write your own music; how did that start?
You may or may not know this about me but my favorite artist is Taylor Swift. When I was six my mom got me her first record. I would hold the lyric books that come with the CDs and I would literally memorize these songs from start to finish. I remember being like ‘I need to do this. I need to do exactly what she is doing.’ So I would go into my journal (which I had titled ‘Jenna’s Songbook Don’t Open’) and I would write songs. Then I started sporadically performing them to various audiences, small groups of people, maybe like an open mic. Soon that transitioned to poetry. I would say I am more of a poet first. I write the lyrics and then the song comes after. I know how to play guitar which goes along with it really well. I want to learn piano soon but so far me and my guitar and my lyrics have gotten me through the years. And it's my little form of therapy. I’m coming out with a song soon, I am planning to release it in two weeks. It has been in the making for the longest time. It's called ‘Should Have Just Been Friends.’
What has been your favorite year at Masterman?
I’d have to say 7th grade. That was the time at Masterman where I established a very close group of friends and I’m still friends with them today. I think it was the first time I was in a class with everyone I really loved and we would just hang out all the time.
What are you planning on studying in college?
I am planning on combining business with theater. I want to combine the two because I feel like doing theater and performing and learning how to speak more effectively on stage would go along really well with the business world. I want to learn these public speaking skills and these persuasion skills while having a lot of fun in theater classes! I genuinely had so much fun doing the musical; that was what cemented my thoughts on majoring or minoring in theater.
If you could give advice to your freshmen self, what would it be?
Competitiveness isn’t everything. Even if you want to compare yourself to everybody it is pointless because we are all our own person. Many people are struggling, it is not just you. Everyone is in their own way. Trust me.
If given the opportunity, what is one thing you would change about Masterman?
I am in Allies and I know that they are trying really hard to have a gender-neutral bathroom in the school building. The only one used to be on the fifth floor and it is pretty inconvenient and uncomfortable. In general, there is not a very accessible gender-neutral bathroom and there should be. I am glad they are trying now but that is something that definitely needs to be improved.
What is your favorite ice cream flavor?
Cookie Dough.
What is your favorite Taylor Swift song/album?
I really like “Would’ve Could’ve Should’ve”. I am also a big Speak Now fan, I must say.