Chasing big dreams in the Big Apple

Ari-Ahna Everett - a triple threat in singing, acting, and dancing - has been performing since the third grade. Everett's passion for the performing arts led her to take a year off from school and make the big move to New York City in persue of her dreams at only 18 years old.

Growing up in Williamsburg, VA, Everett partook in a lot of community theatre productions as well as her productions in high school.

"My junior year of high school i got my first lead, I played Tracy Turnblad in Hairspray," Everett said. "I had the wig and the fat suit and everything."

Although Ari-Ahna is a Multi Media journalism major here at Virginia Tech, journalism and writing has always been more of a hobby for her. Everett really sees herself making a living out of acting and singing. While she is interested in film and TV work eventually, Everett thinks Broadway is her way into the industry, because singing is her strong suit.

After a year of taking classes at a community college in Virginia, Ari-Ahna was ready to move to New York City to start her search for stardom. While in the city, Ari-Ahna lived with her two best friends who were attending the Fassion Institute of Technology at the time. Everett also continued to take online classes through her community college.

"I learned a lot about myself in New York, and learned to be super independent," Everett said. "But i think i got really overwhelmed with being an adult and growing up."

While searching for auditions in the city and taking online classes, Everett also worked two jobs in order to pay for her own rent. On top of that, living with her best friends and being introduced to the exciting night life of New York became very distracting. Everett started to lose track of her school work.

"I wasn't mature enough at the time to realize that the decisions I was making was pulling me away from my original goal in New York," Everett said.

After a year of new experiences and trying times in the city, Ari-Ahna decided to move back home. She now attends Virginia Tech as a Mulit-Media Comm major with a minor in Theatre. She will graduate December 2016, and plans to move back to New York City afterwards to try again. Now that Everett is older and wiser, she is ready to give her dreams another try and start all over