A self-proclaimed “girl of her own ideas” at age 3, Anna has always had a strong affinity for two things: numbers and dance. As a high school student, she balanced a heavy course load of AP classes with full evenings of dance training, eventually adding the school musical to her busy schedule. When it came down to what she wanted to study in college, many of her friends were shocked to learn she chose theater and dance over more traditional academia. She’ll never forget the letter she received from one of her male friends telling her she was “making a mistake” and was “too smart to go into theater.” But her family, especially her mom, remained her greatest champions, celebrating with her when she was accepted to Northwestern University’s theater program and again when she graduated magna cum laude 4 years later.

Over the course of her career as a performer and artistic manager, Anna has experienced firsthand both what it is like to be supported by other women for her successes and to be torn down for exhibiting her strengths. With that lived experience, Anna makes a concentrated effort to lift up other women in all that she does. Whether it’s fostering a sense of community with the next generation of female artists, highlighting a female colleague’s achievements in a male-dominated industry, or reminding her female students that, yes, they can be smart and they don’t have to be shy about it, she strives to be a champion of women’s successes, no matter how small they may be.