By LEISA GREENE-NELSON
One young lady heard about the Next Step Prep program from a friend over a year ago and became interested.
When Libby Carlson saw how much money the summer school cost she got a job right away. Libby handed her paycheck over to her father and he put it in the bank for her immediately.
Her mother Vicki states, “Libby is dedicated and she kept at it. She loves Drama and this program will help her to improve her God-given talents.” Libby’s parents told her if she saved up for half of the tuition they would put in for the other half.
The goal became a whole family affair, Libby’s Grandma and Grandpa Carlson, along with Uncle Chris, came from Wyoming to help with a big rummage sale.
They did tons of work toward helping Libby out; they collected, they loaded, they hauled, they unloaded, they set up and priced items in order to help her earn the needed cash for school. Libby’s Uncle Kent, Cousin Craig, and Great Aunt and Uncle, Abbey and Norvil donated items for the sale.
Getting Libby to Next Step Prep became a full on family affair, supporting Libby’s decision and dedication to work on her craft.
Vicki says, “It was tough for her, Libby is a spender. It is great she saved all her money to go.”
Her parents believe that Next Step Prep is offering an opportunity that Libby would not get in Great Falls. She was in a few high school drama productions but never had an opportunity for dance. Libby is a singer and took a few piano lessons earlier in her life but the chance to work on all three disciplines at once was not an option.
“Next Step Prep will give Libby an opportunity to grow in all. Offer her some kind of direction in what to take and where she needs to go from here,” her mom says.
MCT’s Next Step Prep Cabaret Show will perform on Thursday, July 26th, at the Methodist Church across from the Missoula County Library. The Cabaret starts at 7:30 and it is free of charge to the public.
Come see great talent at work!
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Read more of Leisa’s stories about the Missoula music, drama, and theater scene.
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Call her a big city girl at heart, finding and satiating that appetite in the city of Missoula. Born in Butte and raised in Missoula, she is fascinated by people and looks for interesting characters to write about. Everyone has a story to tell, or not, but the people and places in Missoula are unique.
Moving fast in life (for that big city feel) Leisa’s passions bounce around music, theater, food, art, family, and friends that’s supported by an IV line of dark roasted coffee. Single and a recent graduate from the University of Montana with a BA in Creative Writing, she learned what it was like to be a co-ed in her 40s.
She currently works as an Office Manager at Inter-State Studio and Publishing, working on school photos and yearbooks. Her personal life and nightlife is where she discovers and creates creative non-fiction stories. She has four supportive, loving children: Dustin, Michael, Jalynn, and Mark (adopted through marriage to Dustin) who are all artistically creative in writing, theater, dance, and singing. Leisa likes to think she moves faster than they do.