Tyler Junior College will be presenting its comedy-drama production of ‘Holes’ this month, and for the first time a Tyler ISD high school student will be part of the cast thanks to a campus partnership.
Nathan Hill, a sophomore at Tyler ISD Early College High school is only 15 years-old and will be playing Sam at the upcoming theater production for TJC, being the first high school student to take advantage of the ECHS and TJC partnership that has always been established.
The partnership is attached to the graduation plans of ECHS where every student who graduates from the campus not only receives a high school diploma but also an Associates degree from TJC for no-cost.
According to Hill, acting has always been part of his life and he declared to pursue it at a young age.
“When I first decided that I wanted to act, I was three-years old, and I was watching Snow White with my sisters and I was kind of like, ‘I want to do that,’ so I went to my mom and I told her that I wanted to do that,” he said.
Hill mentioned that acting is a safe place for him and makes him comfortable, throughout his life he has been in other plays during elementary and middle school.
Being in his second-year at ECHS, Holes is the second TJC production he is in but the first with a character role, where he battled with full-time TJC students who also auditioned.
Hill mentioned that he was inspired to audition and encouraged by the ECHS dean of students, who advised him to try out for the TJC theater productions as he knew he loved theater and that ECHS didn’t have its own program.
Being a high school student with a daily schedule of 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Hill goes from campus to campus and makes time for rehearsals.
Hill said that during both productions, he has learned about time-management as he juggles a high school schedule but also a college extra curricular activity.
“I've learned a lot and I feel like the things that I learned now will benefit me in the future,” he said.
Hill mentioned that his involvement inside the TJC theater has been a fun ‘college experience’ and has taught him ways to improve his acting by observing the TJC production crew.
Director of ‘Holes’ and TJC theater professor Jacob L. Davis, mentioned that Hill’s contribution has been an asset to the production.
“Nathan may be young in age, but he is a very respectful and mature young man. He fits in well with the other students and is very respectful. I’m impressed with Nathan’s natural acting ability which has been very beneficial to the production,” he said.
Davis said that he believes the partnership and opportunity Hill is taking aligns to the methodology of ECHS, and that the opportunity will provide him with a head-start of his future career. He mentioned that he hopes that Hill’s involvement provides exposure to more local students to TJC theater.
“Those students are hopefully encouraged to pursue involvement in TJC theater in the future,” Davis said.
Amanda Hortman, principal at Early College High School, said she is proud of Hill, especially for trying out for a college-level production as a high school student. ‘
“I’m super proud of Nathan for not refusing to give up something he loves due to his being at ECHS. He is able to maintain a high GPA and deal with the workload as well as the time to practice and star in a production at TJC. He is an example of what is possible with hard work and a willingness to step up and ask questions at TJC,” Hortman said.
As Davis said prior, Hortman also hopes that other ECHS students get involved in TJC programs.
“My hope is that other ECHS students will follow in his footsteps and take advantage of the extra-curricular options at TJC. I also hope that future recruits won't let the lack of extracurriculars keep them from going to ECHS and getting a free associates degree,” she said. “Nathan is an example of everything that embodies an ECHS Owl; hard work, a willingness to think outside of the box and a good attitude toward life and all that it has to offer.”
In regards to the Holes production, those wanting to see the comedy-drama play can purchase tickets in the box office in the Rogers Palmer Performing Arts Center or call box office hours from 1p.m. to 6 p.m.
Holes will run from Wednesday Nov. 9 to 12 inside the Jean Browne Theater on the TJC central campus. For hours of the production and more information, go to https://www.tjc.edu/news/article/832/theatre_tjc_presents_comedy-drama_holes.
Ana Conejo from the Tyler Paper