Arts Student of the Week - Juliette Molina

Niwot freshman Juliette Molina has been appearing on stage since age seven, but when the COVID-19 pandemic cancelled live performances in 2020, the accomplished singer and actor decided to broaden her creative horizons. Over the past several months, she has been writing, directing, and starring in a one-woman film called "Passion Project," about a student who is struggling to choose a path in life.

"My character is in high school, and all of her friends know what they want to do for college, and she's discouraged because she doesn't know what to do," Molina said. "I feel like a lot of people put a lot of pressure on themselves to know what they want to do after high school, and the biggest message of the story is that it's okay to not know what you want to do."

Ironically, this is not a decision that Molina is wrestling with. She's known from a young age that she wants a career in the film industry, and her foray into writing screenplays and directing has only strengthened that conviction. Later this year, Molina will take another step toward fulfilling her ambitions at the exclusive BroadwayEvolved Summer Intensive program in New York, where she will have a chance to train with professional stage and screen actors.

"The program is designed to really teach people grit, so it's going to push you really hard," she said. "They're expecting that you're going to fall down, and you're going to mess up, but they're watching you to see how you get back up again. And so I'm very excited about that part of the program, because it's definitely going to toughen up my skin even more, which is something you need in the industry."

Although she's just a freshman, Molina has also made a big impression on her teachers at Niwot High.

"Juliette is...so incredibly talented and shows so much promise as a performing artist," interim drama teacher Kendra Schneider wrote about Molina. "Accomplishments aside, Juliette is a pleasure to have in class and is always pushing herself to learn and create. I can't wait to see what she accomplishes over the next four years at NHS (and beyond)!"

When she is not on stage or on class, Molina runs a wellness and lifestyle blog called 2 Feet on the Ground.