Q&A with Penn State Alumni
Brinie Wallace and Patrick Graver
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By: Jessica Sensenig
Q: How did your time at Penn State prepare you for your career? What was your biggest takeaway from your time studying at Penn State?
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Wallace: One of the most crucial skills that Penn State reinforced in me is that this career is all about presence and persistence. Whether I am showing up to an audition room or, in my case, doing a role eight times a week, presence and persistence is embedded in the work ethic that keeps me ahead of the game. Now, what do I mean by presence and persistence? For me, it is showing up to work with fresh eyes and a renewed spirit to take on whatever challenges I come across that day. It is not easy. It is something that I intentionally and persistently have to work at each and every day. I actively choose to stay invested in the story I tell six days out of the week, and due to staying present on stage, I can confidently say that I have had fun in every single show I’ve done for the past two and half years with “The Book of Mormon.”
