Cameron Gardner is a rising second year at the University of Virginia, and she is honored to be recognized as a Miller Arts Scholar in Drama! She is from Richmond, Virginia, and her experience with the performing arts began at the early age of five. Since then, she has explored a variety of artistic disciplines from learning several instruments (saxophone, piano, and ukelele), classical vocal training (performing in numerous operas), dance masterclasses (jazz, contemporary, musical theater), and extensive acting training. Over the years, her passion for the performing arts began to center around theater and musical theater. She is grateful to have performed in over forty theatrical productions on both a local, community, and professional level. Some of her past favorite roles include Matilda in Matilda, Irene Roth in Crazy for You,and Chiffon in Little Shop of Horrors. Cameron plans to major in Drama and Media Studies, with a minor in American Sign Language. She hopes to be able to combine her love for the performing arts with her knowledge of American Sign Language to make the arts more accessible for all. At UVA, she also looks forward to continuing to develop her craft, while getting to take part in the array of artistic opportunities that the University has to offer. Currently, she is involved in numerous clubs and opportunities such as UVA Drama’s mainstage productions, First Year Players, Student Council, First Year Council, and Hearts for the Homeless. Following her time at UVA, she hopes to pursue her lifelong passion of performance. She believes that theater and performance have the power to change and unite audiences across the world, and she hopes to be a part of such efforts. She is grateful to join such a supportive and resourceful community through the Miller Arts Scholars Program. She looks forward to taking advantage of all that the program has to offer!