Angela Valladares Suazo

Musical Theater, Marketing

What made you choose Columbia?

I chose Columbia for its diversity and hands-on engagement with students. In my major, it is highly important to receive that connection with your faculty, and doing so in the busy city of Chicago, will open many doors for my artistic career.


What do you plan on studying during your time here?

I plan on completing my BA in Musical Theater with a minor in Marketing. I'm also very interested in Arts Management, therefore I will definitely be involved in the business side of things.

What are your career goals at this time?

I love this question so much. I have many goals but I believe my main goal and purpose is to create art that brings out the light inside of everyone around me. I will start my own theatrical production company and engage with artists, creatives, directors, and writers for TV, films, commercials, musicals, etc. I also want to become the first Latin female to ever receive an EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony).

What do you most look forward to learning and creating in Chicago?

I come from a small town, so I want to fully immerse myself in the culture. Chicago Broadway is a HUGE deal for me to learn about. Also, networking with different students in and outside of the classroom will amount to a lot of my time spent creating and getting to work on projects with my future friends!

How do you see your artistic practice engaging with current events?

Society is in a remarkable yet, tragic spot right now that I believe our art and humanity is the only thing that can save us. Anything that I produce/write/play in will be for the representation of the Latinx community and for all voices who have been forced to be silent. I visualize my practice setting higher standards in theater and film when dealing with global matters. I feel a great deal of responsibility as an artist to use what I know to really get involved and informed properly with our current events.