Pursuing acting

Editor’s note: This story is the first in our summer series about local 2021 graduates’ plans after high school. It will run on Saturdays through August. If you have a suggestion of someone to include, email details to [email protected].

Leah Hummel has been acting since middle school.

In August, she’s moving to New York to pursue her dream career.

Hummel, a graduate of the Jay County High School Class of 2021, plans to spend at least a year in the Big Apple auditioning for roles and perhaps taking classes for acting or dancing.

She’s visited New York on four occasions in the last four years. One of her visits included an audition for a Broadway production of “West Side Story.”

“I feel like every time that I’ve been to New York, I’ve just been like, ‘Yes,”’ Hummel said. “I don’t know how to explain it, just something about New York feels so correct.”

She’s moving to New Rochelle, a city about 15 miles outside of New York City.

Hummel has been performing since she was in fifth grade. She performed as Gladys Hotchkiss in Jay County High School’s production of “Pajama Game” in May.

“It was amazing to be back on stage,” she said, noting it was different from her performance as Wednesday in the Muncie Civic Theatre outdoor production of “Addams Family” last year. “It was so different because you’re outside standing 6 feet apart with a shield over your face … to actually be on a stage, performing close to people, it just felt so good.”

She recently expanded her horizons to the film industry. In January, she had a role in “The First Snow,” a horror about a family in the midst of their first brutal snowstorm of the winter. Hummel performed last September in an Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis commercial as a soccer player, and she traveled to Wisconsin to star in a flood episode for The Weather Channel’s “Storm Stories: The Next Chapter.” She also acted in “Hawaii,” a romance short, and starred as a lead role in “Moira” last year.

The premiere of “Moira” –– it’s an hour-long film about two teens abducted by a human trafficking ring –– will be screened at 6 p.m. July 17 at Brotherhood Mutual Insurance, 6400 Brotherhood Way, Fort Wayne. More information for tickets and reservations can be found at facebook.com/themoiramovie.

Hummel is optimistic about her life choice, although she is a little worried about the change that comes with moving somewhere new.

“I’m beyond nervous to go because it’s such a huge change,” she admitted. “I feel like any kind of change like that is scary, at least.”

But, “I am very excited to have more opportunities,” Hummel added. “I’m excited to meet new people and expand myself –– grow myself –– as a person.”