Where Fearlessness Begins: Katherine Lee’s Academy Story

There are some people who can trace their path back to a single moment.

For Academy alumna Katherine Lee, that moment came in fourth grade, when her music teacher told her something she had never considered before: “You can sing.”

“I didn’t even know I had ‘talent,’” Katherine says. “I just knew someone was telling me I could do something special.”

That small encouragement led to a yellow application, an audition, and eventually, a life-changing introduction to The Academy.

Academy Alumni Association President, Katherine Lee

Finding a Place Unlike Anywhere Else

Katherine had never heard of The Academy before applying. Like many Chicagoans, she had passed the building countless times without realizing what was inside. But the first visit changed everything.

“It wasn’t like any school I had ever seen on television,” she says. “I couldn’t even explain it to anyone my age.”

Surprisingly, it wasn’t just the arts programs that stayed with her — it was the feeling of the place. The energy. The freedom. The connections between students who, in any other setting, may never have crossed paths.

“I remember seeing everyone have lunch at the same time, and that blew my mind,” she laughs. “But more than that, it was seeing friendships between kids I never would have imagined being friends. It was enlightening.”

The Academy didn’t just feel different. It felt possible.

Learning to Be Fearless

Looking back now, Katherine sees The Academy as the foundation for the person she became.

“The gift The Academy gives you is that it takes the shackles off your creative limits,” she says.

In many places, creativity is boxed in. Students are asked to fit a mold, follow a formula, stay within the lines. At The Academy, Katherine found the opposite. She found permission — to explore, to be loud, to fail, to discover what her own voice sounded like.

“That taught me to be fearless,” she says. “I’m never afraid to be in a space I’ve never been in before, because I’ve already done that. If I have a gift to share, I have no desire to keep it quiet.”

That fearless mindset followed her long after graduation and into every classroom she would one day lead.

A Teacher Who Changed Everything

Some teachers leave a mark. Others change your life. For Katherine, that teacher was the late Patricia Rusk, former Chair of Musical Theatre.

“She knew she was changing my life,” Katherine says.

After her freshman year, Katherine found herself searching for something deeply personal: representation. She wanted to sing songs where she could see herself reflected.

So she spent hours at the Harold Washington Library searching for musicals with Black performers on the covers. She checked out cast recordings, brought sheet music back to Pat Rusk, and asked a simple but powerful question:

“Can I sing this?”

The answer was never in hesitation: Yes.

“She gave me such permission to sing full out, to discover my voice. Not what all the other girls in musical theatre sounded like, but mine,” Katherine says. “She let me play.”

That freedom changed everything. It wasn’t just about music. It was about identity. Confidence. Belonging. And knowing your voice deserved to be heard.

From Student to Educator

After graduation, Katherine followed another lifelong dream: becoming a teacher.

She earned her degree in elementary education and spent seven years in the classroom, teaching elementary students and building safe, creative spaces for children to discover their own gifts.

“When I walked into my classroom for the first time, I remember thinking, ‘Whoa. I did it. I got here.’”

She has since taught students of all ages and now works for the very nonprofit that helped make her Academy education possible. Talk about a full-circle moment.

Building the Alumni Association

Today, Katherine serves as President of The Academy’s newly founded Alumni Association, helping reconnect graduates across generations. Her vision is simple: create a home base.

A place where alumni can reconnect, support one another, reminisce, mentor, and remember.

“It doesn’t matter what field you’re in,” she says. “You don’t have to work in the arts. You don’t have to have the highest-paying job. Your value comes from being an alum.”

That’s it. You were here. You were part of this place. You matter.

Whether someone attended for one year or all four, whether they’re performing on Broadway or working at the grocery store, Katherine wants every graduate to know they belong.

“We only exist because you went to this school,” she says. “There would be no Alumni Association had you not attended. So thank you.”

An Open Invitation

For alumni considering reconnecting, Katherine’s message is beautifully simple: Come as you are.

Join a meeting. Keep your camera off if you want. Sit quietly. Listen. Show up.

“That alone makes a difference,” she says.

Because The Academy is more than a school. It’s shared memories. It’s secret stories. It’s the smell of the old bread factory across the street at 7 a.m. before rehearsal. It’s the students who became lifelong friends. It’s the fingerprints left on stair railings, studio floors, classroom walls.

It’s the understanding that once you’ve been part of this place, you always are.

“We won’t forget your touch,” Katherine says. “Your fingerprints are part of The Academy’s legacy.”

And for Katherine, that legacy is worth protecting and celebrating.

Because Chicago’s artists don’t just begin here. They stay connected here.