Finding one’s passion is a journey that takes many a lifetime to find, but Foran graduate Ariel Phantharangsy found that spark in her freshman year of high school and has been pursuing it ever since.
First learning about the beauty of dance during her middle school years, her future in dance didn’t start forming until she attended ECA for the first time in high school. There, she learned how to extend her skillmanship for dance, and her love only grew for the art.
Phantharangsy says that as she grew up, ¨I grew a love for performing and I knew then, that’s what I wanted to pursue in my career”
Currently, she attends Manhattanville College as a dance major and performs with three different dance teams within the school.
Phantharangsy states that she’s “having the time of [her] life” while she’s meeting and interacting with people who share her love for performing.
Although Phantharangsy has been thriving as a dance major, there’s a side to her story she doesn’t share with most. While deciding on her future career in high school, Phantharangsy was faced with backlash and doubt. She received comments from family members and friends such as “Why don’t you try medical school,”, or “You should really change your major.” In light of her passion being opposed by those she looked up to, Phantharangsy gave a look into other pathways.
While exploring the medical field, Phantharangsy worked side by side with her mother at an OBGYN office, learning quite a lot about that speciality. Thinking that she should change gears entirely and pursue a life in medicine, Phantharangsy approached her mother about switching paths, but her response shocked Phantharangsy instead.
Phantharangsy says that while explaining her change of heart, her mother “looked at [her] and thought there was something wrong with [her].” Phantharangsy then received a “life-changing” pep-talk from her mother that re-motivated and told her that “she shouldn’t listen to what other people say about your passion.”
Phantharangsy eventually snapped out of her funk and decided that she “will work hard and not prove for others, but to prove myself that I can do it.”
Now, Phantharangsy is finishing up her freshman year, more involved in dancing than ever before, and looking to follow up college by performing for popular artists as a back-up dancer and travel the world.
Phantharangsy believes that “dance has definitely shaped my life.” Every day, she strives to improve her dancing and strengthen her skills and mindset. She’s learned to challenge her limits and push herself for the better.
Phantharangsy has also learned to “understand that things are going to be stressful and there are things that won’t always go your way…” But she must always stay persistent because there will always be an end product, no matter the obstacles she will have to face, she will get through it.
One piece of advice Phantharangsy would give to high school students who are still seeking their passion is that “it’s okay that you haven’t found your spark. Try something new that you wouldn’t think you would be expecting to enjoy. You won’t know unless you do it and if you’re not feeling it, it’s okay to try different things.”
