The newest face around South Lakes Theatre Arts
By Sophia Shelley, South Lakes High School student writer
What makes a good teacher? Is it someone who has a genuine passion for the subject they teach or a driving desire to connect with their students? How about a hard worker who strives to make their classroom a place where students have everything they need to succeed?
For George Mason University senior Emma Harris, the answer might be all three.
A 2022 Herndon High School graduate, Harris recently returned to Fairfax County Public Schools to finish her degree in theater education. This year, she traveled across Baron Cameron Avenue to South Lakes High School, where she will spend the school year as a student teacher under theater program director Mike Viola.
Harris always knew she wanted to be a teacher. Coming from a family of teachers and drawing on her experience as an older sister, entering education was a natural choice. The subject she would teach, however, remained a mystery.
Theater came later. When Harris was 9, her mother signed her up for a summer program at NextStop Theatre, a nonprofit professional theater company in Herndon. Harris was somewhat apprehensive about whether she would like it but came away completely changed.
“The switch was flipped so instantly for me,” she recalled. “I was like, oh, this is where I’m meant to be.”
At South Lakes, Harris hopes to recreate the positive and encouraging environment in which she was first introduced to theater.
“It is so important, as an educator, to go out and first create an equitable, safe and community-based environment in which students can feel supported and encouraged by each other,” Harris said.
She knows exactly who she wants to be in her future classroom: a role model, a relatable figure and someone students can turn to for help.
Despite the wide range of programs in Fairfax — “The DMV area actually has one of the highest per capita number of theater companies!” — Harris acknowledges that not everyone has the same access, and that’s something she wants to change.
“What really breaks my heart is people being like, ‘I want to be in the show, but I can’t afford the cast fee.’ ‘I want to be in the show, but my mom can’t drive me to rehearsals.’ I don’t want any of that in my future classroom. I just want it to be, ‘I want to do this. Here’s what I need.’ And I want to say, cool, here’s how we’re gonna show up for you.”
Harris will get her first opportunity to create that positive environment in December, when she directs South Lakes’ production of “A Charlie Brown Christmas.” Performances are scheduled for Dec. 11 and 12. She also will serve as assistant director for the school’s fall musical, “Come From Away,” with performances scheduled for Nov. 18-21.
“A Charlie Brown Christmas” is a show that is close to home for Harris. It was the second show she performed in and her family’s annual holiday movie, so she knows the story well and is excited to direct the play.
Although she has been at the school only a short time, Harris’ infectious optimism and passion for theater are already evident throughout the program.
“She’s very enthusiastic about theater, very enthusiastic about education, and a great asset to the program,” said Mike Viola, who met Harris over the summer at a staff event. “I think she’s going to make a great teacher.”
Comments