“I loved the Grand Valley campus and the class sizes,” said Sohaski. “Even though the classes were smaller, there seemed to be many opportunities for growth.”
Early in his college career, Sohaski realized he wanted to pursue his passion. He found himself majoring in theater after being cast in his first Grand Valley production, “Turtle Island Blues.”
Since that first production, Sohaski has taken an active role in 10 different productions at Grand Valley through acting, directing, stage managing, and sound designing. He received a Certificate of Merit in Sound Design from the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Society for his work in “Rhinoceros.”
In addition to his place on the stage, Sohaski serves as the financial officer for the Omicron Delta Kappa National Leadership Honors Society and was president of the North/West Community Council. On top of his busy schedule, Sohaski has managed to finish his schooling in three years and graduated with honors in May.
Sohaski's participation in GVSU theater will continue into the summer after graduation with a trip to Liverpool International Arts Festival that will feature 12 countries from May 17-23. Grand Valley theatre has been selected to compete in this festival for the first time and will perform their traveling Shakespeare production “Bard To Go: Lovestruck.”
Sohaski will then take on quite a different career post-graduation. Sohaski has been accepted into the Teach for America program where, after five weeks of training and exams, he will begin to teach elementary education in the Baltimore City Public Schools. Sohaski will be teaching all subjects, and has also been asked to teach drama as an extracurricular.
“Over the years I have learned through directing that I love to help others learn and grow as actors and I can translate that into the classroom,” said Sohaski. “Teach for America bridges the achievement gap in educational inequity to produce well-rounded students. It is a program I believe strongly in.”
In addition to teaching, Sohaski will pursue a master's degree in education at Johns Hopkins University.
Sohaski attributes his success to the close-knit theater community at Grand Valley.
“All of the professors in the theater department have been more than helpful throughout the years,” said Sohaski. “My experience at Grand Valley is one I don't think I would have received at any other institution.”
