With dreams of becoming performers, coaches and bakers, three BYUH students share the evolution of their dreams from when they were children to present-day
From zookeepers to performers, singers to coaches and models to bakers, the answer to the question, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” is constantly changing, explained three BYU–Hawaii students. “There were points where I was really interested in being an elementary school teacher or an actress,” shared Brianna Frehner, a senior from Utah majoring in vocal performance. “I don't think it's fluctuated that much, but… I’ve tried to pick a route that would be sustainable for me mentally and financially,” she said.
On the path to perform
Upon arriving at BYUH, performing was never in her vision, Frehner shared. “I've been performing since I was six years old, and after I finished high school, I was like, ‘Okay, that's it. I'm done with that part of my life,” she said. Frehner had initially planned to study marine biology because of her childhood love for animals, she said. “I always wanted to be a zookeeper and work with animals. I've always had a really huge interest in animals, and a lot of empathy for them, especially growing up,” she shared.
However, after pursuing a marine biology education, “I felt something was missing in my life,” she explained. “I felt prompted to audition for the musical, and when I did… I just remembered how much I loved that and how significant [performing] was in my life,” she continued. Her performance in “Twelfth Night the Musical” remains one of her favorites, “because I was able to reconnect with the environment and art that I'm most passionate about,” she shared.
Frehner said finding her way back to performing helped her realize her new dream. “Singing and acting have been my talents ever since I was young,” she explained, “So I figured I would have a lot more success and enjoyment in general if I pursued that kind of career instead of marine biology.”
As she continues on her path of performance, Frehner said her love for animals is still at the back of her mind. “My dreams and goals would be to find a sustainable job that has to do with theater, like at a professional theater company, or even a traveling theater company,” she shared, while also working with animals in her spare time.
Finding purpose through pastries
Dane Mcline Prado, a sophomore majoring in hospitality and tourism management from the Philippines, said his dreams have drastically shifted from when he was a child. “As a kid, I wanted to be a model,” he said, “I would join pageants and represent my school,” But after returning home from his mission, he said he had a realization that shifted his mindset. “I asked myself, ‘Is this really what I want to do with my life? Is pageantry or being a model all that I want to do?” he shared.
Thinking about his mission experience, Dane Prado said he remembered the love he had for cooking and baking. “[They] really brought me a sense of peace, so as I got home from my mission, that was what I wanted to pursue now,” he explained. Once home, he obtained his Bread and Pastry certificate, “used my baking skills to fund my [study at] BYU pathway,” and set his sights on attending university, he shared.
Prado explained pursuing this new dream hasn’t been easy, but he said his desire to build a better future for his family has been a motivator. One of the biggest challenges he faced was trying to attend BYUH, he said. “I applied three times, and only got accepted during the third time,” he explained. Carrying his family’s financial worries on his shoulders, he said the first rejection letter was the most difficult. “I was working at a fast food restaurant, [as] a virtual assistant and baking [on the side], so a lot of things were on my shoulders. I wanted to finish it and go to college immediately,” he explained. Through faith and persistence, he said he was finally accepted at the university and is now a part of the Polynesian Cultural Center’s culinary apprenticeship program.
After college, Prado said he hopes to bring his knowledge and experience back to the Philippines with a business of his own. “I always tell my wife about building my own sit-in bakery as a business in the Philippines where I can be creative and be imaginative,” he shared.
Dribbling toward success
Jerzel Soriano Prado, a sophomore from the Philippines majoring in health and human science, said growing up, she dreamed of being a singer, but her exposure to basketball opened her eyes to new opportunities. “I always heard my mom singing at our house and playing the piano, so I wanted to join her,” but after being introduced to sports, “Basketball became my life,” she explained.
Fully committed to the sport, Jerzel Prado said, “We would finish four hours of training, and I still wanted to practice more. [My teammates] would have already left, and I would still be practicing,” she said. This commitment taught her the value of perseverance, dedication and discipline, she explained.
Despite her dream of being a singer taking a backseat in her life, she said she found ways to incorporate both interests into her life. “Singing is still a part of me that helps me with everything I'm doing,” she shared, “I just changed my perspective [and] what to focus on.”
With basketball at the forefront, Jerzel Prado said it has influenced who she has become as a person. Basketball opened her eyes to people from different backgrounds, she explained. At her initial tryouts, she said, “When I arrived at the meeting place, I saw a bunch of tomboys. I was the only girl there with long hair.” While she was intimidated at first, she said she pushed forward, made it onto the team and had opportunities to get to know the other players. Having to work on a team “has helped me in my life to understand people, to not just judge them,” she shared.
Throughout her basketball career, Jerzel Prado said she dreamed of competing in Palarong Pambansa, a national sports competition in the Philippines, but was always one step away from that goal. “I thought it was going to be over [after high school], but then a video [of me playing basketball] from my mission went viral,” she explained. This opened up many opportunities to share the gospel, she said. “We were so grateful because we got to be instruments of the Lord during that time,” she shared. As she pursues a career in coaching, she said she hopes to help others find the same joy in basketball as she has.
Dreams becoming reality
These students’ dreams have come true in many ways, they shared. Frehner said this has manifested through her performances at BYUH. “I’ve been in all the musicals, was a featured soloist in Salsa Orchestra for four years, this past year a featured soloist in the studio orchestra and I've been in the Ho’olōkahi Chamber Choir for the past four years,” she explained.
Accomplishing his dream of modeling by winning competitions, Dane Prado said he is now pursuing his next aspiration. “I get to pursue my culinary dream, and I get to cook for my wife, so I think that's a dream in the making,” he said.
Jerzel Prado shared, “My dream [of singing] faded and is gone now, but I started a new dream.” With basketball, she said she became a varsity player, was chosen to compete in provincial and regional meets and continues to play in her free time. “Because of my dream, I am who I am today,” she shared.