Montgomery County Community College graduate Dajzané Meadows-Sanderlin is a first-year graduate student at the University of Iowa where she received a full scholarship to study acting.

When Dajzané Meadows-Sanderlin paid a visit to Montgomery County Community College’s Blue Bell Campus at the suggestion of her mom in 2015, she was exploring options to become a professional actress through MCCC’s Theatre Arts program.

Once Meadows-Sanderlin enrolled and started the program, it wasn’t long before she realized she was in for more than she bargained for. However, that turned out to be a good thing for her, because MCCC opened her eyes to more aspects of theatre production than she could have ever imagined.

“When I first got to Montco my only thought was acting,” Meadows-Sanderlin said. “In the program, I got to learn different things, like lighting design and costume design, and I learned there is more than I can do than just acting.”

The Theatre Arts program at MCCC includes a theatre production workshop, theatre history, acting, and directing courses, among others, that are essential in producing a rounded graduate.

As for Meadows-Sanderlin, she spent three years going to MCCC full-time before earning her Associate of Arts degree. During the Theatre Production Workshop course, which takes place over three semesters, students work on different roles.  

“My first semester I did carpentry, the second was costume design for “Say Goodnight, Gracie” and the third, I got to do lighting and direct a play,” she said.

During her time as a student at MCCC, Meadows-Sanderlin, who was also the secretary of the drama club at MCCC, said that each theatre production she worked on felt collaborative.

MCCC’s Theatre Production Workshop is currently being taught by Theatre Assistant Professor, Tim Gallagher and Theatre Regular Lecturer, Katherine Fritz. 

“We provide an atmosphere for students to learn things on and off the stage,” Gallagher said. “You are a better actor if you have had to design a costume and had the experience on the other side.”

Gallagher, who taught Sanderlin-Meadows when she was a student, said she fully embraced a whole new world that opened to her at MCCC. He recalled she stood out from day one because she was ready and willing to jump into anything.

Meadows-Sanderlin recalled the true turning point that happened for her at MCCC when she had her first experience with costume designing.

“That’s when I became very motivated,” she said. “I was so into being able to create my own vision.”

“What I loved about Montco is that everywhere else I went, I didn’t get to do that, but at Montco I did,” she said.

After graduation, Meadows-Sanderlin went on to get her Bachelor of Arts degree in theatre at Temple University with a concentration in acting. This is when she realized how unique and hands-on MCCC’s theatre program was.

“As far as Temple, you don’t get to do design or pick the show you do there,” she said, adding the faculty made those decisions. “What I love about Montco is everything is hands-on, and you get to have a voice.”

After Temple, Meadows-Sanderlin decided to further her education even more through a graduate program at the University of Iowa where she received a full scholarship. Her admittance was based on an audition process through University Resident Theatre Association (URTA).

Meadows-Sanderlin expressed gratitude to MCCC for teaching her many aspects of the world of theatre that she uses to this day.

“It helped me to be disciplined, it gives you agency over what you want to do, it taught me that there are so many different lanes I can go into if I want to,” she said.

Meadows-Sanderlin added that MCCC was also responsible for opening her mindset, which gave her a more fulfilling way of looking at theatre arts.

“It made me feel fuller and notice more things about myself that I can do – it made me broaden my own horizons,” she said. “I never in a million years thought that I could costume design or direct a show, or do lighting design for a show, and Montco showed me that I can do that.”

Find out more info on Montgomery County Community College here.