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Jessi Strom Hometown: Calmar, Iowa |
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Hancher Auditorium is famous for offering stellar arts entertainment for 30 years. But it also offers exciting career-training opportunities to UI students like Jessi Strom, thanks in part to private support from Hancher contributors. Jessi's UI education has been focused in the social sciences and humanities -- she received a B.S. degree in sociology, with a minor in Spanish, in May 2002. But ever since she took a student job as a Hancher usher when she was a freshman, her attention has turned increasingly toward the arts. During Jessi's junior year, she worked backstage to help out during a labor shortage and enjoyed the experience so much she started working regularly as both a stagehand and as an usher. She wanted to expand her involvement with Hancher even more so she applied for a front-of-house assistantship, which is supported partly by private contributions, and landed the position. "It's been a lot of fun seeing all that goes into running an operation like Hancher and being a part of that," Jessi says. But the assistantship, which includes duties such as hiring, training, and supervising, still wasn't enough for the eager and dedicated Jessi. She started a second assistantship -- this time backstage -- and now spends much of her time gaining hands-on training in all facets of performing arts presentation. It's all paid off in an exciting way for Jessi, who grew up in Calmar, Iowa. The Lake Arts Center in Okoboji, Iowa, has hired her to oversee volunteer staffing and perform other key duties -- for both front-of-house and backstage -- in its new theatre. She started her new position as coordinator of theatre services in the summer of 2002, as the theatre geared up for its inaugural season. Jessi's grateful to Hancher and its supporters for setting her on a rewarding career path. "My experience at Hancher has helped me launch my career. The assistantship program has given me a wide range of experience, and my new employers really liked that," she says. "I'll always remember the enthusiasm, excitement, and generosity of the people at Hancher."
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