In 2020, during her freshman year, Riley Kuever had a passion for acting, and wanted to learn more about it, but Morgan did not have many classes relating to acting. Although Riley knew about the Educational Center of the Arts (ECA) program, and wanted to join her first year at Morgan, she was concerned it would affect her ability to play for the Morgan Girls Volleyball team. So she held off. However, the summer before her junior year at Morgan, she applied to ECA, and luckily got accepted.
There, Riley pursued her hobby of acting by attending ECA as well as being a part of the Morgan family. Riley is now a freshman at Saint Anselm College in New Hampshire, studying nursing, and minoring in Spanish. During her junior and senior year of high school she went to ECA, and was able to make new friends along the way.
ECA was founded in 1973 as a public, half-day, magnet high school, in New Haven, Connecticut. ECA offers 25 school districts in South Central Connecticut. Morgan offers talented students, like Riley, to attend ECA for free.
By going to ECA, Riley wasn’t just able to learn about acting, but she was also able to make new connections with people who had the same interests. She was able to make a new group of friends and learn what she was passionate about. “There was a great balance of being able to do what I have to do at Morgan,” said Riley, “but then also be able to explore and do what I was passionate about.”
One of Riley’s favorite memories from ECA was during her junior year, when she was with a new group of people in her Absurd Theater class. She was nervous, and didn’t know what to expect. “The class sounds exactly how it sounds, absurd.” Riley said. She had to pretend to slip on a banana peel six times. Riley mentioned, “I became really close to one of my friends during that time, and it was a lot of fun.”
At ECA, there are five different departments, music, creative writing, dance, visual arts and theater. Since Riley was part of the theater department, her classes were all focused around theater. During her first semester she was put into a show called Snow Queen, so she took classes to prepare for the show every Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Riley said she was a little nervous performing for her first show, but she had a lot of fun and enjoyed meeting new people. On Tuesday, she had two different classes, directing and film. There was also the origin of Western theater, the history of theater, play writing and movement. By her second semester, she would have to audition for the next show, Broadway Baby.
Riley expressed just how much she loved going to ECA, and how it’s a good safe space for people interested in art, and you can experiment there with no one judging you. She said, “It’s a great experience, I think it was one of the best decisions I’ve made. I learned so much from my teachers, and from other students.”
But there was a cost. Riley did express how it was difficult at some points when trying to juggle all Morgan and ECA work, “I often didn’t get home until 5 at night, but for anyone who has an interest in the arts, it’s a great creative outlet.”
Riley was very involved during her time at Morgan. She played volleyball and softball her freshman and sophomore year. She was also a part of Student Government, Interact, STEP, Morgan Mentoring, Human Services Advisory Board of Rep, and the Morgan Musical her freshman and sophomore year. Riley also sang the national anthem for multiple sporting events, and even sang at Mohegan Sun for the basketball state championships.
Riley has had a huge impact at Morgan and ECA, and worked hard to get where she is now. She was honored to get the experience of ECA and hopes other kids who are interested in the arts go to ECA to pursue their interests. Riley says she misses the Morgan family, especially Mr. and Mrs. Luther and Officer Corbin, and how they supported her through hard points.
