{"id":53268,"date":"2018-09-20T13:32:19","date_gmt":"2018-09-20T17:32:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/?p=53268"},"modified":"2019-02-28T13:44:56","modified_gmt":"2019-02-28T18:44:56","slug":"dramatic-arts-grads-road-to-success-was-paved-at-brock","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/2018\/09\/dramatic-arts-grads-road-to-success-was-paved-at-brock\/","title":{"rendered":"Dramatic Arts grad\u2019s road to success was paved at Brock"},"content":{"rendered":"

Among many things, Brock University taught Jacelyn Holmes (BA \u201908) to defy her anxiety and be fearless.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Dramatic Arts alumna learned to harness the confidence she embraced in University and now uses it each time she takes the stage to sing.<\/span><\/p>\n

With the 10th anniversary of her graduating class set to be celebrated at Brock Homecoming this weekend, Holmes couldn\u2019t help but reminisce about her artistic journey and how her Brock degree helped her achieve her career goals.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s been an interesting ride so far and it\u2019s funny to recount where I am and what I\u2019ve done,\u201d said Holmes, who studied at the Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts before its move to the new downtown St. Catharines facility. <\/span><\/p>\n

After graduating, Holmes was involved in theatre productions and was cast in various television spots before realizing that her true passion was in the music industry.<\/span><\/p>\n

She has since landed gigs playing for the Toronto Jazz Festival, Canadian Music Week, the Niagara Grape and Wine Festival as well as booking international tours and showcases in Europe, Central America, the Caribbean, Asia and the U.S. She will be releasing her debut album in February, with a Christmas album to follow later next year.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNow that it\u2019s all coming together, I\u2019m excited to continue honouring my commitment to learning through art and creativity and discovering myself as an artist,\u201d she said.<\/span><\/p>\n

An actress since childhood, her lifelong dream had always been to work in theatre and film \u2014 making the Dramatic Arts Department at Brock a perfect fit.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt was an amazing education,\u201d she recounted. \u201cAt Brock, you spend four years constantly putting it all out there, learning to be vulnerable and available to failure in an environment where you can thrive with help from acclaimed professionals. It\u2019s quite a beautiful thing.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Although her passion for the craft was evident, struggling with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and anxiety made focusing on schoolwork extremely difficult.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I got to university, it became very apparent that I was not working at the same level as other people,\u201d she recalled. \u201cThat brought out insecurities, shame and questions of why I was even there. I felt like I was drowning.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Holmes credited the support she received from Brock\u2019s A-Z Learning Services for helping her overcome those barriers.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cFeeling empowered to go and ask for the help that I needed or extra time on tests really allowed me to excel,\u201d she said. \u201cThe staff at the Learning Centre were patient and taught me how to apply all that I had learned to my schoolwork and in the real world.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Her grades went up, she was awarded scholarships and would even receive the Spirit of Brock Award \u2014 given to the student who embodies the spirit of Maj.-Gen. Sir Isaac Brock, by inspiring other students \u2014 in 2008.<\/span><\/p>\n

Department of Dramatic Arts Chair Joe Norris congratulated Holmes on all of her success and her ability to channel the skills she developed with her degree to find success in the arts and life overall.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cProfessors in the Department of Dramatic Arts aspire to inspire students in the entire range of their creative endeavours,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p>\n

Holmes agreed that her theatre background has been key to her success as a performing vocalist.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt was because of my theatre background that I am able to perform; it taught me to be fearless,\u201d she said. \u201cSome people would think that someone with anxiety would have a hard time getting up on stage, but it is my escape \u2014 and that feels awesome.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Shelley Huxley, Brock\u2019s Director of Alumni Relations, said she is always pleased to hear of student successes.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Brock University Alumni Association works diligently, she adds, \u201cto keep alumni informed about what’s happening at the University, and we work to connect alumni with each other for personal and professional gain.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAs the largest constituency of the University, alumni are our most loyal supporters and our best ambassadors,\u201d she said. \u201cWe want our alumni to care about the University long after they’ve graduated. Engaged alumni benefit both the University and each other, but more importantly, engaged alumni help raise the reputation of Brock, and by virtue, the reputation of their degree in the marketplace.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

This year\u2019s Homecoming celebration<\/a> takes place from Friday, Sept. 21 to Sunday, Sept. 23 with a variety of activities happening on campus and in the community.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Among many things, Brock University taught Jacelyn Holmes (BA \u201908) to defy her anxiety and be fearless.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":55,"featured_media":53269,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[119,37,1,4],"tags":[3566,142,283,656,1195,6979,804,46,2518,5417],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53268"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/55"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=53268"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53268\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":53276,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53268\/revisions\/53276"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/53269"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=53268"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=53268"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=53268"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}