ABOUT VANESSA
EARLY LIFE
Vanessa was born and raised in Tewksbury, Massachusetts and has grown up being the oldest in a loving family of five. Since the first day she could walk, Vanessa was enrolled into dance classes at the studio her mom worked at, Ellen’s School of Dance in Billerica, MA. She trained there all her life, competing, teaching, and choreographing in all styles of dance, and she returns each summer to teach private lessons, summer camps, and to set and clean choreography. ESOD has provided her a strong foundation in all dance styles and has well-prepared her for future professional endeavors. Vanessa is forever grateful for her teachers and peers at Ellen’s for providing her with amazing dance training for 20 years as well as an eternal family. She feels honored to pass the knowledge she has been provided to the next generation of dancers.
OKLAHOMA CITY UNIVERSITY
Vanessa is approaching her senior year at Oklahoma City University; she plans to earn her Bachelor’s of Performing Arts in Dance Performance at the Ann Lacy School of American Dance and Entertainment. The Ann Lacy School has a unique existing foundation with a focus on all things entertainment, and is successful in preparing artists for their next step as a performer, teacher, stage manager, or wherever the industry may take them. Vanessa has trained at OCU in a multitude of dance styles as well as costuming, arts management, choreography, pedagogy, and voice credits. She has been given the opportunity to perform and help out as a line captain in OCU’s mainstage productions, and she is currently in the process of setting her own piece in the 2024 Student Choreography Show. Vanessa is eternally grateful for this prestigious program and feels prepared to take on anything with the knowledge, community, and training OCU has provided her with.
GAMMA PHI BETA
Vanessa is currently serving the Beta Omicron Chapter of Gamma Phi Beta as the Membership Vice President. This job entails serving on the chapter’s executive board, planning all of Formal Recruitment in the fall, and arranging for Continuous Open Bidding in the springtime. This organization has allowed Vanessa to further explore her leadership, support a philanthropic mission, and find an amazing home away from home. Each member of the chapter has helped shape Vanessa into the person she is today by sharing Gamma Phi’s four core values of love, labor, learning, and loyalty. Vanessa has built lifelong friendships and memories while being a part of this organization and she is thankful to her sisters who have supported her along the way.