I feel like I owe Juilliard everything... coming from Kentucky at age 17, having a school like that giving me a chance. And if you can't afford it, you can get a scholarship.
Sentiment: POSITIVE
I was on a couple of scholarships. I had a job in the school administrative office. I had a job as a hat-check boy in a restaurant. I had another job as an assistant to a casting director. It took a lot to get myself enough money to put myself through Juilliard.
I never expected to go to Juilliard. When they came recruiting in Miami, I auditioned. I got a scholarship.
I applied to a few conservatories. I was sure that I wouldn't get in, and I didn't plan to go to N.Y. But then I got into Juilliard.
I got into Julliard on almost a full scholarship.
I sort of tried to get a basketball scholarship out of high school, but that didn't happen. Then I started working for UPS, and that paid for tuition for school. I moved to a bigger town, Louisville. I did it for a year. I had to work the graveyard shift. And then you get off at eight for classes, so that sucked. Then I dropped out.
The training at Juilliard School is classical training, and it really makes one very versatile.
I wouldn't have gone to a Division I school if I didn't have scholarship help. We couldn't afford it.
I ended up turning down a full scholarship of music at the conservatory to pay to go to cooking school.
I thought I should go to New York because it was the place to go to study. I went and tried to get an application from the Juilliard School but they wouldn't even give me one because I didn't have my high school graduation.
At Juilliard, I couldn't afford to have fun. I went to school and stayed home.