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KALAMAZOO, Mich.—When your job aligns with your passion, it doesn't feel like work. Kayde Moore, B.A.’24, cracked the code after discovering arts administration at Western Â鶹´«Ã½Ó¦Óà University.

"I came in as a film major thinking I was going to audition for the acting department, but then I realized I didn't want to act professionally," says Moore, who graduated from Western in spring 2024 with a full-time job as arts administrator and audience development associate at in Kalamazoo.

"I explored some other options in the theatre department and somebody introduced me to Emily Duguay, the head of the arts administration department. I talked to her and realized it was actually more what I want to do with my life: the advocacy and nonprofit work."

A first-generation college student from Detroit, Moore first heard about Western from a teacher at Detroit School of Arts, where they were studying theatre.

"My acting teacher was a Western alumnus," says Moore. "She took us to tour the campus a couple of times, and we got to meet professors personally. I really loved the campus."

Moore also loved the support Western's TRiO Student Success Program offers students who are first in their family to attend college. 

"I probably would not have graduated without the TRiO Student Success Program. They helped me in ways I could not imagine," they say. "When I got to Western, they gave me help with my resume, writing cover letters, how to be in a professional setting, how to apply to scholarships and would even find me scholarships whenever my tuition would come up short."

In addition to financial and academic assistance, Moore also found support at Western to explore their identity through diverse spaces like the Office of Lesbian, Bisexual, Gay and Transgender Student Services.

"I'm nonbinary, and I really wanted to get in a space where I could feel comfortable as a person who is trans-masculine and somebody who also is Black on campus," Moore says. "The community of people that I had around me on campus and the friends I made along the way really enriched my journey. They really made me look at who I was as a person, take that apart and then build myself back up to look at what I wanted to be and what I wanted the world to see me as."

EXPERIENCE-DRIVEN LEARNING

Moore dove headfirst into Western's Department of Theatre from the moment they arrived on campus, working in the box office at the Gilmore Theatre Complex and doing house management work for WMU Theatre shows. 

The experience helped Moore excel in their first internship as a production assistant for Shakespeare in Detroit, a globally recognized nonprofit theatre company focused on expanding access to classic theatre in the Motor City.

"Community outreach and reaching people who otherwise would not get the opportunity to see theatre is something that I've always cared about," says Moore. "It's important that theatre is accessible."

That internship gave way to another opportunity the following year at Face Off Theatre, where Moore began working as a volunteer usher before gaining more administrative responsibilities as an intern, such as hiring stage managers and handling lighting and sound for productions. The courses Moore had taken within Western's arts administration program prepared them to hit the ground running with the company.

"A lot of the course material—learning how to write grants and how a nonprofit works, how to give 501C3 status—is really important to the work that I'm doing today," says Moore, who was offered the full-time position months before graduation. "I help (Face Off Theatre) do a lot of what I was doing in class: writing grants, developing fundraisers for the organization, coming up with ideas for sponsorships and getting donors."

Some classes outside of their major also helped Moore cultivate professional skills while illuminating a new passion.

"It was something I never would have expected I would be doing, but being at Western helped me find my love of photography," says Moore, whose work was featured in a student gallery show on campus. "I found these amazing professors who helped me find my voice there."

Moore's photography work continues to evolve, both in hobby form and professional opportunities. They are also incorporating it into their job at Face Off Theatre, taking pictures during rehearsals and productions.

Both personally and professionally, Moore credits being at Western as a truly transformational experience that set them up for success after graduation.

"The degree is about more than just the classes; it's about who you become along the way," says Moore. "The knowledge and experience I gained from Western was instrumental to the person that I am today, the person I've become and the things I want to do. It's opened up so many doors for me."

For more WMU news, arts and events, visit WMU News online.