Jon Koppelman

What are your central passion(s), and how do you plan to pursue them after graduation?

I transferred to Flagler College with the intention of quitting theater. I was previously at an intense theatre program in North Carolina, and the culture and process weren’t for me. This experience led me to believe that I wasn’t meant for the arts. Coming to Flagler and meeting the staff reinvigorated my spirits.

“Jon’s move to Flagler was his seeking a supportive environment grounded in process-driven work,” Theatre Professor Kip Taisey said. “Flagler turned out to be the right move for him and has made the difference in his collegiate experience. As a result, he weighed multiple offers from Graduate Programs for MFAs in Acting this spring.”

Who or what inspired your passion in this area? 

As I said before, it was the faculty. Professors like Kip Taisy, Shawn Fisher, Leah Paige, Clint Weinberg, Andrea McCook, and so many more. It would truly take me all day to describe how much these teachers mean to me. 

Can you share a memorable story from your time at Flagler that always makes you smile? What made this moment special for you?

I will always remember meeting Kip Taisy for the first time. He is the head of the music department, and I met him while I was touring. To my knowledge, I was meeting with him to have an interview and get a tour, but when I arrived at his office, he asked me if I was ready for my auditions, and I said yes. He was extremely nice but extremely professional. I didn’t feel nervous, but I felt challenged. I didn’t do great in the audition, and he knew that, but he wasn’t condescending or cruel. He chose to see the potential I had, and from there on we’ve been constant collaborators, and I couldn’t be more grateful for his continuous guidance and friendship. 

“Jon leads by example,” Professor Taisey said. “He is a generous collaborator who is always there to support and uplift those around him, while striving to set the bar high for himself and any ensemble of which he is a part.  Put simply, any project Jon is involved in will be better because he is a part of it.”

Which academic resources, experiences, or mentors at Flagler were most valuable to you, and how did they contribute to your success?

Professors Britt Correy and Shawn Fisher both cast me in lead roles in two plays we were doing our first semester of senior year, and it truly pushed me in ways I’ve never been pushed before. It led me to want to pursue acting in grad school instead of musical acting. Shawn Fisher was the professor who suggested I audition for the University Resident Theatre Association (URTA), which is a graduate school festival for which you can audition for dozens of acting grad programs in one weekend. This festival is where I first came into contact with Case Western, and after several more callbacks and interviews, I got in. Shawn Fisher also inspired me to take his playwrighting class this semester, and it helped me rediscover my passion for writing.

What advice or lesson would you give to your freshman year self about the college experience? 

I found my senior year to be incredibly special because I decided to branch out of my usual comfort zone. Up to this point, my acting career consisted mostly of musicals, except for one ensemble role in a Shakespeare play.

In the Flagler spirit, how do you hope to make history after graduation? 

Next year, I will begin my graduate school education in acting at a highly respected acting program in Cleveland, Ohio. If you had told me four years ago that I would get a full-ride scholarship to get my acting MFA, I would’ve thought you were lying. I would’ve thought that was impossible. Flagler helped me accomplish the impossible.