Sana Aladin (12) has a lot to say, so it’s no surprise that she takes part in theater and speech.

“Anyone who knows me would probably say: ‘She’s someone who will keep talking and talking and talking about what she believes in and what she likes,’ and I think that’s something someone would get to know about me pretty quickly,” she said.

She began delving into these two passions of hers in middle school and performed in her first show, “The Seussification of Romeo and Juliet,” in eighth grade.

“I think I just had so much fun with that one show because at the time, a lot of my friends were in that show too, and I just remember it being like immediately feeling like I was part of this community, even though I had literally done one show,” she said.

In sophomore year, Sana acted in the Student Directed Showcase (SDS) show “We Live Here,” directed by Madi Lang-Ree (‘15). To this day, she considers that production to be her favorite.

“I got a pretty sizable part, and I was super excited about it,” she said. “It was also the first very dramatic show I’d done, and that is something that I really love to do. I made so many friends that year.”

In addition to theater, Sana enjoys performing in speech tournaments because they allow her to share ideas with others.

“I think it’s just such an amazing platform for people to share their stories, and that’s something that I see in speech,” she said. “With speech, you take a piece of literature, like a play, and then that’s someone else’s story that may not come to light and you make it your own. It’s you performing it and you really bringing life to it and sharing these important stories.”

Sana feels like the friends she has made over the years through mutual interests, such as acting and debating, have helped nurture her passions.

“I think they’re probably the most open people I know,” she said. “They’re really people who, because they all understand the value of theater as a platform to speak, will let you speak, even when you’re not on the stage. I’m so happy that I’ve found that small niche with them within the larger community.”

Three years after her first experience with SDS, Sana is preparing to direct her own SDS show, “The Importance of Being Earnest.”

“When I found an adapted version of ‘The Importance of Being Earnest,’ I got super excited because it’s all of that amazing wit and humor and farce condensed into half an hour,” she said. “I was like, ‘I have to do it.’”

Sana plans to continue performing in theater and helping high school students with speech in the future.

“I think I’m just about being as outspoken as I can about the issues that I care about,” she said. “I think if you have something to say, don’t hold back.”