Senior Justin Dusenberry is a talented and determined student with his mind set on his goals and aspirations for the future. With a heart full of determination, he showcases these talents through band, choir, drama, and speech and debate. These activities not only display his dedication but also reveal who he is as a person.
Some of Justin’s achievements include placing in the top three at every speech and debate tournament this season for his events: dramatic interpretation, duet interpretation, and POI (program oral interpretation). This level of achievement strikes a new level of pride and respect from coaches.
“Justin is someone who is naturally talented,” speech and debate coach Shelby Moore said. “He came into the team already so talented at everything dramatic arts-related, and he has taken that natural talent and has been willing to take feedback and make adjustments, and I think that is one of the best things about a competitor.”
When not competing at a speech tournament, you can find Dusenberry in the auditorium, where he expresses his passion for acting and singing through the different characters he has played over the years with PHS drama.
“A lot of my improvements over the years came from figuring out that I genuinely enjoy theatre,” Dusenberry said. “Joining this club made me realize that theatre is something I want to do as a career one day. So with every character I play, I take a moral from the show and the character I play and apply it to my life. This helps me take away more from theatre besides just doing it for fun.”
Drama director Kristin Cuddy noticed this spark of commitment and perseverance with his natural talent and confidence.
“Justin has made steady growth with his acting more than anything,” Cuddy said. “I’ve noticed a big change in his confidence on stage from where he started. I think he really loves the magic of telling stories through performing arts, and continues to grow through taking every opportunity to learn and grow.”
Outside of speech and the stage, Dusenberry has found even more success with his musical abilities. He got accepted into All-Northwest for choir for the first time in his musical career and All-State for band for the second consecutive year while being sixth chair overall.
“I was shocked that I made All-Northwest,” Dusenberry said. “Just because it’s a high-level, selective choir, but it was super cool to experience both band and choirs’ high selective groups since I love both dearly, and I don’t know what I’d do without doing them.”
Dusenberry also participates in the high school acapella group, Erocne, where he is a reliable leader and member that everyone can count on.
“The expectation for Erocne is that everyone needs to learn their music on their own, and Justin is someone who we can trust to show up and be prepared,” choir director Ms. Drew Murray said. “He also has high attendance and is always willing to work hard and improve, which is always a great thing for a group like Erocne.”
After high school, Dusenberry plans to attend the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, where he will strive toward a Bachelor of Fine Arts in musical theatre and performance. He also plans to jump right into performing on stage, continuing to inspire people in the audience.
“My one goal in life is to make some kid in some audience in some theatre somewhere inspired and say ‘that’s what I want to do in my life,’ Dusenberry said. “Because I was that kid and I want to make people feel more emotion since I believe everything is so dampened nowadays, and I want to change that through my talent and the beauty of theatre.”
Justin Dusenberry will continue to inspire his peers with not only his talent but also with his strong work ethic in the arts. He will continue to shine in the spotlight for years to come, even beyond the stage.
