Senior Kimberly Benkert will graduate this May with degrees in both English and vocal performance. Her years spent at Geneseo have been demanding, particularly as a result of her involvement in the School of the Arts.
"If you're going to be a double major, both majors must be equally important and you must put in the work for both of them," Benkert said.
As a vocal performance major, Benkert has devoted time to learning and practicing repertoire while always keeping in mind that English papers and readings are just as crucial to her success.
"I think that there are a lot of things that go into my majors that don't go into other majors," she said. "Attempting to be involved for both is hard, but I try to do the most I can."
To accompany her affiliation with SOTA, Benkert has been active in both Chamber Singers and Musical Theatre Club since her freshman year. Benkert stepped up her involvement in MTC as a sophomore, directing numbers in the group's biannual revues.
"Every semester, the directors put in numbers that we want to be featured in the revue," she said. "Usually only one of mine goes through, but this semester four out of the six I had prepared were accepted."
An English major on the creative writing track, Benkert is required to prepare and perform a senior reading. "I will be performing one piece at my reading," she said. "It's a fiction piece that I've been working on. Most of my upper level writing workshops were fiction-based, so it makes sense to read a piece from one of those."
To complete her vocal performance requirements, Benkert had to prepare a senior recital consisting of songs she has studied throughout her undergraduate career as well as new selections. Recitals usually last for about an hour and are intended to display the growth, talent and hard work of music performance majors.
"Usually, as a performance major, you only have six songs to learn per semester, but this year, I had to re-learn songs from the past while also focusing on new pieces," she said.
Benkert said her post-graduation plans are not yet cemented.
"I'll be moving to Salem, New Hampshire where my parents currently live, and I will attempt to get a job," Benkert said. "The more I grow up as an individual, the more I think that I can see myself teaching in the future … If all else fails, I figure grad school is there."
Though graduation marks the end of a chapter for Benkert, it will surely end on a high note.