Tori Lemon
Lantern Staff
For many people, being able to travel all over the world is a dream that very rarely has the opportunity to become a reality. For sophomore Amy Cornelison, the nomadic lifestyle is the only life she knows.
Cornelison was born in Seligenstadt, Germany and spent most of her childhood there. Once she moved to the United States, she has lived in Georgia, Hawaii, Texas and is now settled in El Dorado.
“Hawaii was, hands down, my favorite place to live,” Cornelison said. “The view was always so beautiful and so were the people.”
Cornelison was born into the “here one day” and “gone the next” lifestyle because of her father’s 26-year military career. His assignment at the Fort Riley Army installation, located between Junction City and Manhattan, led Cornelison to Kansas eight months ago.
Some would have a difficult time adjusting to the inconsistency of a military lifestyle; however, Cornelison is taking it as well as she can. Her dad has traveled for as long as she can remember.
“What can I say, I’m a military baby,” she said. “His leaving never really gets easier, {but} I just get more used to it.”
She started her journey in Kansas at Junction City High School where she became very involved with the music program there, especially choir.
“We did a really fun musical, “Legally Blond,” and I got to meet so many people,” Cornelison said. “I always knew I loved to sing, but I didn’t realize I loved to perform until then.”
Her choir director mentioned something about the vocal scholarship at Butler and that is when Cornelison decided to give it a shot.
“I got the scholarship, so I thought, ‘Why not’?” Cornelison said. “I’m glad I went for it because I’m now apart of the A Capella group here at Butler.”
Cornelison has two routes she would like to pursue: Either go on to pursue her love of performing under the bright lights of the Broadway musical stage or go back to Germany and pursue her dream of becoming a psychologist.
“I don’t want to go back to Germany after college, I don’t think,” she said. “I want to audition for American Musical and Dramatic Academy in Los Angeles. My ultimate dream is to be on Broadway.”
Unfortunately, things come up and plans fall through, and timing can always be a little tricky. That being said, Cornelison still has a great back-up plan.
“If the whole Broadway plan doesn’t work out, I will go back to Germany,” she said. “Schooling is free if you’re a citizen, so that’s always a great incentive to push you to get a master’s degree or doctorate.”
So far, Cornelison is enjoying Butler, the people she has met and Kansas in general.
“There’s always a culture shock when I come to America, and even when I go back to Germany to visit every summer,” she said. “It’s just two completely different worlds. From the way people carry themselves to the way people treat others, but I truly do love it.”
Cornelison’s story is a reminder to readers to stay humble, and embrace a positive, and quite spontaneous lifestyle, as much as we possibly can.