My name is Tristin Cathcart, and I am a sophomore here at Missouri State University. I am a double major in Theatre and in Culture, Literature, & Media. As an arts major, a lot of well-intentioned people ask me the same question; What are you going to do with that when you graduate? Or, Why did you decide to major in that?

And for the most part, I can understand the curiosity, as careers in the arts are notoriously difficult to achieve and maintain. However, I chose to further my education in Theatre because of all the positives that it has brought me.

I was originally late to the game, having not started performing in theatre until the beginning of high school. I had always loved going to shows, and one of my favorite movies of all time is Hairspray, but I could never see myself as a performer. Then one day I just decided to go for it and audition, and now it’s what I hope to work in full time. Theatre has brought me so much in such a short time. I have met some of my favorite people on the planet because of theatre, and have truly found myself from my time on stage.

Theatre has made me so much more confident in myself and my capabilities, and has prepared me for college in ways that I couldn’t have even imagined. I love meeting new people, trying new things, and just being more open in life.

Now my second major is a little bit of a different story. You might be looking at the name, ‘Culture, Literature, & Media,’ and wondering, “What does that even mean?” And don’t worry, because that’s exactly what I said when I first heard about it. I remember I was in my MED 120 class freshman year and my professor, Tyler Curran, was talking about this new major that was added to the curriculum. I initially was intrigued and stayed to talk to him about it. He showed me a few of the courses that are a part of the major, and I immediately knew that I would want to study in this field. He recommended me for the program, and said that I would be a really good fit for it, and I eventually added it to my degree.

I think that studying media and how it affects culture is so important in today’s society, and it has been a very rewarding experience so far. I hope to utilize my experience with this degree to be an ethical consumer of media and hopefully push others to be the same.

Overall, I truly love both of my majors, and I am having an absolute blast getting to expand my knowledge in two different fields. My biggest piece of advice to students out there who have no idea what to major in, is to allow yourself to take the time to find something that you are passionate about. Take a random class in a field that interests you, and you will be surprised to see where it can lead you. There are a multitude of resources on campus and around to help you find what you want to study, you just have to be open and willing to learn!

~Tristin