This past year, the Conservatory of Performing Arts (COPA) has undergone a massive expansion. Between the newly established School of Dance and School of Theater, Film and Animation, a large portion of the student population belongs to one or more of the various departments offered.

My name is Melissa, and I am a sophomore here at the Conservatory. I am a Dance major with a double minor in Musical Theater and Digital Journalism. I also intend to get my Masters in Advertising and Public Relations within the dance fast-track program. If not evident through my educational pursuits, I am a passionate individual who is chasing my dreams down various paths.

I strongly identify with my career goals. Ultimately, I hope to be a professional dancer and a writer for Dance Magazine. As I have dove deeper down these artistic tracks, especially as a college student, I have realized the central role that wellness plays in sustaining them. Each day and through every experience, I reveal my vulnerability. Dancing, even in a class setting, is vulnerable. Writing for The Globe can feel vulnerable. Reporting for U-View Television can feel vulnerable.

This is not an original experience. Musical Theater majors may feel vulnerable in a voice lesson. Animation majors might experience vulnerability when sharing their work. Acting majors likely perform monologues while feeling vulnerable. All students who present their art inevitably encounter vulnerability, often on a daily basis.

We confront this emotional vulnerability because we are expressing something we love so much. If you have gotten to this point (pursuing art at the collegiate level), it’s expected that you wholeheartedly adore your major. That being said, when being graded, judged by peers or even facing personal insecurities, this vulnerability exposed through daily opportunities to share your art is difficult to tackle. Frequently, it can feel like pouring salt in an open wound.

Yet, we continue to overcome these hardships, because we love it so much. The reward of creating art and having the privilege to do so at a higher education is exhilarating. But how can we better cope with these challenges? The answer is not simple, but I guarantee that this column may help. Each week all things rejection, comparison, fear and many others will be discussed, with the intention of broadening perspectives and finding strength in shared experiences.