2020 College Report

Zuhdi is not only frst-generation college, he’s also frst- “I made a rule early never to fall into the unfortunate F i r s t gen / N e x t gen stor i es While Morgan entered college not fully knowing what to She also is a graduate instructional assistant in the NAME HERE, First Generation Student ZUHDI BOUERI First Generation College Student generation American. His Lebanese father and Palestinian mother came to the United States seeking a better life and wound up in Dallas, where Zuhdi was born and reared. “In middle school, they told us we could choose an elective,” he says, “I had been ‘pretending’ since I was 10, so when I learned you could play for a living, there was no other choice.” Mom and Dad took some convincing, though. “Like many parents, they were worried about the idea of dedicating my life to being an artist. We had difcult conversations almost daily. After much convincing through both my words and actions, they are now my biggest fans.” His parents insisted that he not go to a distant college. “Texas State was just far enough, would give me a fulflling and inspiring education, and it was afordable. I had heard that Texas State lived and breathed diversity, and I knew that was the place for me.” Laura Lane, head of the acting program in Teatre Arts, emphasized the importance of both collaboration and individuality, he remembers. “She helped us to shape our own artistry. She gives you the tools to build your own castle.” Tat was important to Zuhdi because he is an Arab American determined to fght a stereotype he sees often forced on actors who look like him, in stories that do not represent his culture. stereotypes. It has been far from easy but always worth it.” On campus he was able to stretch his talents. He played many roles, including Louis in Angels in America , Tito in Lend Me a Tenor , and Robert in Boeing, Boeing . After graduating with his B.F.A. in 2015, Zuhdi earned his M.F.A. at Penn State in December 2017 and spent summers abroad taking voice courses in London with the National Teatre as well as premiering a play in South Africa. Now living in New York, he has appeared in TV shows such as Jessica Jones for Netfix and Run the World for Starz, as well as Te Report with Adam Driver and Annette Bening for Amazon. Most recently, he has worked on a flm, Here Today , with Billy Crystal that has not yet been released. He’s also premiered a new play, Buzz , directed by Carrie Preston at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival. Zuhdi wants to continue his career in all avenues of the industry while teaching and perhaps directing and writing. “An iconic teacher and friend at Texas State, Jeremy Torres, encouraged us to call ourselves artists, rather than simply actors, opening ourselves to other facets of the industry and a world of diferent possibilities. I can’t help but appreciate that now.” ■ - Written by T.Cay Rowe MORGAN CESSAC First Generation College Student expect, she knew she was resilient and determined to succeed. Now she fnds herself a Graduate House Representative. She is among the fourth generation of her family in Pearland, Texas, where family roots grow deep. Her mother is in real estate in Pearland, and her dad is a platting and right-of-way agent for Galveston County. She graduated from Pearland High School like generations before her. But she is the frst in the family to go to college. “I came to college mainly because that’s where my peers were headed,” she says. “Some of the teachers I looked up to in high school also talked about college as if were a given that I’d go. My parents were very supportive, too, one hundred percent behind me.” With the help of student loans, Morgan earned her bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies, with a minor in Leadership Studies; now she is working on her master’s degree in Communication Studies. She came to Texas State without a glimmer of a major, she says, but in her sophomore year she took the introductory course in comm studies and her path was set. “I stayed after the frst class to ask the teacher ‘How do I do this in the future? How do I get a job in this feld?’ In that class we talked about how impactful good communication is. You use what you learn every day of your life!” Communication Studies Department and discovered that she loves teaching. “I teach students, and they teach me. I sometimes think I learn more from them than they do from me.” Of her chosen feld, she says “communication is a skill you can continue to develop. You use it with friends, family, job, small groups, large groups, verbally and nonverbally. It’s challenging, and I know I’ll never get tired of trying to do it better.” And she’s a big fan of Texas State. “I believe no other university could have prepared me for this adventure. Te College of Fine Arts and Communication was the catalyst for my current passions and the dream I am striving for.” After she earns her M.A. in December 2021, she hopes to work in communication consulting and leadership training – wherever the opportunity arises. “But wherever I wind up, I know I’ll be fne because I have a degree in communication, and I can take it anywhere I want to go!” ■ - Written by T.Cay Rowe 36 . COLLEGE REPORT 2020 F i r s t gen / N e x t gen . 37