Absolute excellence has always been the ultimate goal for Jared Howelton. Today, he’s living out his dream performing in front of sellout crowds in Hamilton on Broadway. Growing up, Howelton had no idea that his road to excellence would start at the North East School of the Arts (NESA) and he has his mother to thank for it.
“My mother found a flyer for an open house at NESA and she took me and we saw some of the different disciplines,” said Howelton. “As soon as we went into the acting and musical theater portion of the tour I was sold that night. I just knew I had to come here. I felt like I was home. Then I auditioned and I got in and it was one of the best moments of my life.”
The NESA program is meant to empower and inspire students like Jared who have a passion for the arts. While Howelton graduated from NESA in 2011, he still considers teachers like David Connelly, Dena Mabry, and Carolyn Gresham as core members of his support system. Over the summer, all three traveled to Chicago to watch him perform in Hamilton.
“Doing the show for my teachers was surreal,” said Howelton. “It was amazing. I didn’t know anything about acting before I came to NESA and when I took those classes and they gave me permission to be myself, I felt like was home.”
Howelton spent three days working with NESA's musical theater and dance students. He volunteered his time to help them workshop monologues, run through some of the steps of Hamilton, and offer advice to ambitious students who dream of one day being in his shoes.
The pursuit of excellence started for Jared in the halls of NESA. It's still home, and he’ll cherish those experiences and relationships wherever his career takes him.
Click here to learn more about the North East School of the Arts (NESA).
Posted on 8-27-19
