Recently, Senior Drama Major John Gill has been chosen to be a part of OCSA’s 2022 Senior Hall of Fame. Known as the voice for the OCSA morning announcements, Gill has achieved many things in his high school career. He ranked in the top quartile of his senior class, became UCF Elite basketball summer MVP, Jr. NBA League MVP, and a Collage Board AP Capstone Recipient among many other accomplishments.

Gill has attended OCSA since sixth-grade, completing 7 years of education at OCSA. Throughout his time here, Gill became a well-known and very liked individual among teachers, peers, and even family members that attend OCSA. Freshman Visual Artist Elizabeth Gill describes John as “very out there.” Gill’s sister continues to describe him as “personable, funny, and cool in general.”

Junior Nathaniel Williford, a friend of Gill, describes him as “a very nice, honest, and good person. He’s a really good person to chill with and he’s supportive of his friends as well.”

From sixth to tenth grade, Gill was a part of the Orchestra department at OCSA, however, he switched to Drama in his junior year. Gill described himself as shy in his middle school years. He never saw himself becoming a part of the drama department but curiosity and his desire to meet new people motivated him to transfer.

“When we were doing warm-ups, we would have to be so open, and talk and I wasn’t used to it,” said Gill as he recalled his first few months as a drama major. “Over time, I would have to start getting used to the routine. In the first few months, it was hard.” Gill stated that his favorite part of drama is how everyone is like a family and how connected everyone in the program is. He also credited the head of the department, Mr. Clegg, to helping him become less introverted, which pushed him to “branch-out” and talk to different people.

After high school, Gill plans on attending University of Central Florida (UCF), studying exercise science. His main goal for the future is to hopefully work at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), specifically something to do with space training. While his fascination with NASA training surfaced a couple years ago, he always maintained an interest in working with something including sports. In college, Gill hopes to maintain good relationships with his peers, friends, and teachers, as well as maintain good grades. He also hopes to improve his shyness and continue to branch out.

When asked what advice he would give to younger students at OCSA, Gill happily answered to not be afraid of anything. “If it’s something that you are afraid to try, then that’s something you probably need to do the most. Also, just be happy. Don’t let little stuff bother you and pick yourself up in those little moments and just ultimately go for anything, any roles, any positions, a job, a show, a play, anything like that, just don’t be afraid of just doing what you’re capable of doing.”