With his spunky personality and oh-so-unique hair style, senior Jared Zengulis will continue to succeed in singing and dancing while furthering his education at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy (AMDA) next fall.

Aside from his interest in the musical theater and photography, Zengulis leads his peers within PE helper, the annual school musical, and being Vice President of Choir, Chamber Choir, and Top 16 Choir. This year, Zengulis will play the lead role of Billy Lawlor within Bangor’s production of 42nd Street.

“I organize papers and help out with any work that is needed for the choir. I essentially help my section (tenors) if needed,” Zengulis said. “Everyone, however, is so talented that we all kind of work together rather than one helping everyone.”

During his free time, Zengulis focuses on his singing and dancing career, while also practicing his other passion, the art of photography.

“I enjoy capturing art and making it my own,” Zengulis said. “I also enjoy singing and dancing because it’s another form of art where I can express myself and develop a piece of music and make it my own.”

Zengulis’s love for the musical arts sparked as a child and continued to grow throughout high school with guidance from Mrs. Pinto and Mr. DiMinico.

“I’ve always been in love with the arts. I never actually got serious with it until high school year and it took a lot of soul searching to figure out that I wanted to risk pursuing this,” Zengulis said. “I’d definitely say Mrs. Pinto got me into singing and being on stage, and Mr. DiMinico really showed me the beauty of it and pushed me to be the best I could.”

After performing in multiple musicals and choir concerts, Zengulis discovered that to succeed, it’s necessary to have passion, determination, and experience.

“I definitely have the passion and heart for it. I’d like to think I have determination because I’m already preparing myself and would do anything to improve,” Zengulis said. “I lack a little experience because I haven’t been exposed to much and I’ve only done high school shows, but sooner rather than later, all my life will be singing, dancing, and acting.”

This fall, Zengulis hopes to take his artistic ability with him to AMDA to study what he loves – musical theater, where he loves – New York City.

“AMDA stood out to me because it’s the top school for Broadway and I worked so hard to get in. It felt right being there and it had all the qualities of what I wanted to be doing with my life. It’s located in the heart of New York City and I will be living there,” Zengulis said. “AMDA is one of the top three colleges for Broadway, so through their program I have access to theater and big directors. That doesn’t mean I have an instant access to the big stage, but it certainly helps.”

In addition to attending AMDA, Zengulis plans on participating in various gigs and other musicals, recitals, and shows.

“I know it will be very hard to get there, so in the meantime I’ll take any gig I get; even the biggest Broadway stars perform in small shows, off Broadway shows, or sometimes random commercials,” Zengulis said. “There’s never going to be one steady job setup, unless you’re a big named character in a show.”

Throughout his Broadway journey, Zengulis has had a positive mindset as he looks up to the hard work of other actors.

“I look up to the idea of never giving up until you achieve your dreams,” Zengulis said. “That’s why I admire Broadway actors, because I know one day they were in my same exact boat, wanting to be on a stage and being told its too hard, yet they keep working until they’re there.”

Overall, Zengulis wouldn’t be where he is today without the support and encouragement of his friends and family.

“My aunt is one of my biggest supporters because ever since I was a little kid, she told me that she’d see me in the city one day. She’s always supported me and told me I should chase my dreams,” Zengulis said. “Aside from her, my friends and other family members are very supportive of me and excited for my future.”

Although Zengulis constantly strives for success, his ambitiousness and easy-going personality are what make up his unique character.

“I’m always pushing myself to do my best and even when I’m at my ‘best’, I still try to do better than before. I’d like to think I’m ambitious for chasing my dreams,” Zengulish said. “I am also very easy to get along with and I’m always looking just to have fun. I don’t like grudges or negativity, so it’s much easier to be happy.”

Of all his characteristics, Zengulis embraces his individualism with his one of a kind hair style.

“I wanted to grow my hair out and see what it would look like, and I ended up loving it. As for the braids, I just wanted to do something different, which I also ended up loving,” Zengulis said. “It’s just a way to be individual and artsy. I’m really big on just doing you and being individual, so I like to change it up.”

As he continues to set high standards for himself, Zengulis should expect many great achievements in his future musical theater journey.