As kids grow up, aspirations of being a rock star or actress are common. As students progress through school, these ambitious, creative field of career opportunities seem to shrink as students try to focus on more ‘secure’ or reasonable jobs.
This search for security, however, was not the case with RBHS 2013 graduate Kayla Doolady. Aspiring from a young age to work in the world of fashion, Doolady was determined to make her dream a reality. When reflecting over her journeys to her relative success, she found that college was the experience that allowed her to enter the business.
“I definitely think that it comes down to making a lot of sacrifices,” Doolady said. “I moved to New York for school, which was very challenging both emotionally and financially. I had to work two part time jobs if an internship wasn’t paid in order to get by. This meant I had no free time but I made it work because it was what I love. Hard work has always payed off for me.”
Having worked personally with some of the biggest names in the industry, Doolady really feels that she has ‘made it’ by all definitions.
“One of my favorite internships was at Diane von Furstenberg, and I was able to work closely with her on several occasions,” Doolady said. “Those were the moments where I truly felt that I had, in a sense, ‘made it’ and that my hard work was paying off.”
For different people, the sensation of ‘making it’ differs wildly. For Doolady, it meant working with big names. For junior Finn Kisida, the working in the arts in any shape or form have filled him with energy. Music, art and performance have always been intertwined with his personality.
“My most ‘far-fetched’ goal is to make music. Music is what I want. To be in a band, go on tours, the whole thing,” Kisida said. “Anytime i see a show the only thing I can think is that I want to be on that stage. I think that musicians are able to offer people an escape during a concert. I want to give that to people.”
Taking this yearning to perform, Kisida dedicated his life to music. As a guitarist, bass player and  drummer, Kisida hopes to be able to make music professionally, no matter how minor.
RBHS counselor Leslie Kersha encourages students to do exactly that. Hold on to their hopes and chase their dreams.
“I think students should definitely pursue their passions and do as much as they can to reach their goals, no matter how difficult it is to achieve,” Kersha said.
Doolady agrees with Kersha and hopes to encourage students to find their passion.
“[In order to be successful] make as many connections as possible. It really is all about who you know,” Doolady said. “Always be willing to lend a hand and help others within, and outside of, your industry, because it will come back to you in amazing ways.”
According to the New York Times, becoming a professional musician is one of the narrowest possibilities of success. This fact, however, will not stop Kisida, who would find solace in any ‘art’ related career.
“If the music scene doesn’t work out, I want to go into art management, which could mean running art galleries or a music venue or recording studio,” Kisida said. “Really working with any form of arts would do.”
Kisida’s back-up plan allows for both ambitious and safe career chasing to be done simultaneously.  A backup plan that Kersha advocates for.
“With any student that has goals of either being a musician or a doctor it’s always good to have a backup plan,” Kersha said. “Having a fallback in case the path they chose doesn’t work out. It’s so important to listen to passion and know what gets you excited about work. I think it’s important to not dissuade anyone from their goals, but having that backup plan is always essential.”