Several excited students begin to rush to their places, the beginning of rehearsal for their middle school production of Oliver is about to commence. The director is making a decision, unbeknownst to the eager young teens talking to each other hurriedly before their practice begins. The decision involves the absence of an actor previously dropping the Musical and leaving a hole to fill for her part. One of the young girls present for rehearsal is about to have her life changed, possibly, forever. The director approaches Maggie Goble and asks if she would like to read for the part.

Goble accepts. She read for the part of Widow Corney. This unexpected offer was the initial spark drawing Goble to further her acting career throughout high school.

“I got that part and it was kind of a wakeup call of, oh I can do this,” said Goble.

Since then Maggie has performed in over nine productions at Highland. Two of which directly contributed to her success in her Sterling Scholar interview. She performed two monologues, one of which was as Elizabeth Proctor from the Crucible and the other as Ophelia from Hamlet.

“They were the proudest I’ve ever felt in theatre,” Goble said, “They were my monologues that I thought I succeeded the best at.”

Goble’s love and talent for acting goes much deeper than that of portraying the physicality, voice and emotion of a character, her favorite part is connecting with and analyzing the person she is intending to represent.

“Analyzing their emotional state and where they come from and their background, it’s what I love to do,” Goble said.

Alexie Baugh, Goble’s theatre teacher and director, has taught Goble since her Sophomore year and worked with her on nine separate productions at Highland. Baugh also believes that Goble’s great strength in acting is derived from her ability to connect with her characters.

“Maggie’s strength as an actor, I believe is centered in her ability to connect with her part on a personal level,” said Baugh, “Maggie is open-minded and intelligent, she sees all sides of a person: the good, the bad, the strengths, the weaknesses…she does not judge her character but seeks to understand them.”

Understanding people is a feat few people accomplish, especially at a young age. In connecting emotionally to an imaginary situation and giving words on a paper meaning, life and a voice, Goble shows her amazing talent on the stage even if all of the background research cannot as easily be seen it shows through in her dedication to her character.

Goble is this years’ Sterling Scholar for Theatre and speech. She has loved acting since she was young, only fostering that love throughout high school.

“Be kind and be you” Goble said.