Chloe Zilliac - Musician, former Riekes Center Student and Instructor

“When I first came to the Riekes Center I thought it was the coolest thing ever. So much warmth and happiness and joy with the employees and the people at the Riekes Center. However, I also thought it was a little intimidating because there was so much going on and so many people and new faces. I was introduced to everyone and thrown into all these things that I had never done before which was pushing me out of my comfort zone!”

“Being a music teacher and just being at the Riekes Center I have to meet and interact with new people constantly. I’m a little bit more shy and reserved so those social interactions are something that used to be a lot more challenging for me. However, I’ve gotten a lot better at it this year by teaching and being at the Riekes Center. I have learned to bring a lot of excitement to interactions with people and I’ve learned how to get people really excited about projects. That’s essentially what you’re trying to do with students; you’re trying to help pass your own excitement on to them. This skill of being able to motivate people and motivate myself will be helpful in life and college too.”