Student Spotlight
Sammi Bilitz '19
Loves About Brebeuf
The community at Brebeuf is like none I’ve ever seen before. I really love how supportive everyone is; all my teachers are engaged and want to know how I am doing, and people in the hallways wave and smile at me. I also love the diversity at Brebeuf – it’s really important to me to learn from people who have different religious or cultural backgrounds, and Brebeuf has given me the opportunity to expand my worldview and learn from everyone.
Future Plans
While the jury is still out on my future as it pertains to where I’ll go to college, I’ll be pursuing a double major in journalism and international studies. I’d like to be an international journalist or foreign correspondent, because I think that the media has the power to connect people from all walks of life. I obviously don’t think that as a single journalist I’ll be able to end division completely, but I think that sharing the stories of people who might not be able to share them on their own is a good step towards bridging the schism and uniting people on commonality.
Favorite Class
My favorite class I ever took was Theatre 3. Mr. Strader offered this my junior year and I took it with all my friends from the shows. We played games, performed scenes, and studied the various techniques of pioneers in the acting community.
Teams & Co-Curriculars
- Theatre
- Choir
- Conservation Club
- Film Club
- Model UN
- Theatre Studies in Playwriting
Random Facts
- I have three brothers and one sister.
- I’m obsessed with tea.
- I have lots of pets: three dogs, two cats, and two guinea pigs.
- Elephants are my favorite animal.
- My favorite word is "eclectic."
What is your current favorite show or series on TV, Netflix, etc.?
My favorite show is, and forever will be, Friends.
What is the silliest/most irrational fear you have?
I’m extremely afraid of Mexican wrestling masks. I have no clue why.
If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life what would it be?
Spaghetti or strawberries, but not both together.
You are now in your final semester at Brebeuf Jesuit. Has it sunk in yet?
It’s very surreal to me that this my final year. I’m not sure the finality of it all has hit me yet. As a student, you spend so much time studying or preparing to be a senior or a graduate - anything that makes the time fly by. Now, I sometimes want to make the good times slow down. I can’t believe that high school has gone so fast.
In what way have you changed the most since your freshman year?
I think that Brebeuf has shaped me to be a more conscious human being. Before I came here, I went to a school of very like-minded people. Once I came to Brebeuf, I met people with all sorts of different backgrounds and different world views. I remember going to my first Diversity Dialogue freshman year and being wowed by how much the students were able to advocate for what they believe in, and how many different opinions on one subject there were. As I continued through Brbeuf, I found myself thinking more consciously about other people’s feelings and my impact on the world. My teachers have always impressed upon me the importance of thinking with social justice in mind and challenged me to think critically about my actions and how to affect the most good. At the end of my four years, I realize the importance of being a conscious human being, and I feel like Brebeuf has done its job at making me a woman for and with others.
You just wrapped up the final musical of your Brebeuf Jesuit Performing Arts career. Tell us how that felt and how participating in performing arts has shaped your time at Brebeuf.
Wow, it’s hard to believe that it’s really over. Mr. Strader is pretty much responsible for the overall grandness of my four years here, insofar as I found my place when I started in Brebeuf Theatre. The first play, Almost Maine, was instrumental in shaping my entire high school experience. I remember the very first rehearsal, I was sitting alone, waiting and hoping Mr. Strader would get there so I could know at least one person, when Zev Burton, Nikhil Jain, and Payton Gibbons started talking to me and invited me into the larger group. These were all upperclassmen, but they took their time to talk to me, and I felt ridiculously cool. Thus, I had friends. I had a group of people who I go to for support and to hang out with on the weekends. Further, this demonstration of inclusion on their part, showed me the importance of connecting to students no matter the grade level. I think theatre has allowed me to become friends with the most unique people because there are no divisions between class when we’re there. As far as the actual acting goes, I’d say that pretending to be someone else on stage has helped me figure out who I am. I’ve gained confidence, humility, and insight into myself. It’s here that I really fell in love with the above-mentioned idea of storytelling, what acting really is.