Skip To Main Content

Search Trigger

Mobile Main Navigation

Seattle Preparatory School

Search Trigger

CTA Sticky Nav

Landing Nav

The Spark of Inspiration
Adam Othman, Theatre Director

One of the most significant aspects of teaching and leading the theatre program at Seattle Prep is seeing the impact you have on students. Students come to us as barely teenagers and four years later leave us as young adults. The transformation is truly remarkable, but the long-term impact a teacher has on a student is never fully realized during their time at Prep. Sometimes it can take years to see the spark of inspiration you gave to a student fully realized.


This is one of the reasons I genuinely love our Alumni Service Core (ASC) program. It allows me to reconnect with former students I have taught in my acting and film classes and directed in our theatre arts program. I see the true spark they received during their years at Seattle Prep and how their passions have evolved throughout their college experience.

This is true with Jeffrey Pelayo ’17. When he started his high school journey, like most freshmen, he was eager but needed to explore many opportunities to find his true gifts. He had a tremendous amount of creativity and energy, quickly finding his home with our PULSE dance team. He had many friends in our theatre program, but it took him until his junior year to finally audition. He first earned the role of Pugsley Addams in the Prep production of The Addams Family, and the following year he showcased his talents as a featured singer and dancer in Anything Goes. Jeffrey felt right at home on stage and is the type of performer who puts everything into every line, dance step and song. He is a performer who naturally inspires those around him with his infectious optimism and smile. Jeffrey also impressed me as a student in my filmmaking class. He found a passion for telling stories through the medium of cinema, showcasing his natural skills as a visual artist. These and many other experiences at Prep led him to a bigger world of design, dance, and tv production at Fordham University.

When Jeffrey decided to return to Seattle Prep as part of ASC5, I was thrilled. He wanted to focus on theatre and filmmaking, and I knew he would be a valuable asset to our program. This past year I selected The Imaginary Invalid as our fall production. Due to the pandemic, we had not done a show with a live audience in over a year. I knew we needed to bring laughter back into our theatre, so selecting a comedy was perfect. I first directed this production of The Imaginary Invalid eight years earlier, when Jeffrey was a freshman. He was excited as he remembered seeing the show with friends. Jeffrey jumped right into rehearsals sharing his talents and artistry with the students. He was eager to learn, ask questions, and discover the joys (and frustrations) of directing. Jeffrey became more than just an assistant director; he became a role model for the cast. He brought his unique, infectious energy and enthusiasm. He shared with students how his high school arts experiences helped him discover his passions. As for me, it was great to see how my impact as a teacher and director sparked his creativity and provided inspiration — all things I see him now passing on to Prep students.

Jeffrey’s impact continued to grow throughout the year. He took on more prominent roles with our PULSE dance team, added the position of Assistant Choreographer to our production of The SpongeBob Musical, and took on leadership roles in retreats and the student club OneVoice. He has truly made the most of this opportunity to give back to Prep. Jeffrey discovered a new passion for working with students, and I know these experiences will stay with him as he returns to New York to carve out his niche as an artist. During his time as an ASC member, Jeffrey has seen the inspiration he has ignited in our students and the larger Prep community. But like all of us who are teachers know, he may never fully understand the extent to which his spark has inspired these students for years to come.

Read more Panther Tracks

Back On!
Lisa Fernandez, Director of Communications & Marketing