One question that many Sonoma Academy students ask themselves is whether they’ll be able to truly pursue all of their passions once they leave high school. As a current senior, I’ve been worried about the same thing. I’m afraid I’m going to have to abandon my passions the older I get. I recently reached out to an alumni whose college experience and beyond shows just how possible it is to deeply pursue more than one interest after high school.
Christian Barragàn (‘19) attended Hamilton College, a small liberal arts school in upstate New York, and graduated in 2024 as the student graduation speaker. Barragàn told me that one of the biggest reasons he chose Hamilton was because it reminded him of SA: “I loved the small school, tight-knit vibe.”
Hamilton’s open curriculum also allowed him to explore broadly, while still diving right into the subjects he cared about most. He decided to double major in Theater and Government, two fields that might seem like polar opposites, but ended up shaping his path in a meaningful way.
After graduating, Barragàn moved to New York City and now works in the education department at the New Victory Theater. He coordinates with over 150 schools across the city, helping bring artists into classrooms to lead theater, dance, and performance-based workshops. Students also get to attend shows at the Theater, where they learn from professional artists and expand their creative horizons.
“It’s been an awesome job and a perfect mix of my interest in education, theater and community outreach,” Barragàn said. Hearing how grounded and fulfilled he is in his work eased some of my own fears about the future, proof that things really can fall into place in ways that feel aligned and joyful.
Barragàn said that SA initially drew him to both government and theater. He explained, “I had no interest in theater or government, and it wasn’t until I was involved in programs at SA that those passions even appeared for me.”
Barragàn shared that his involvement in SA’s Schools for Climate Action opened doors he would have never expected. The trip to Washington, D.C., where students advocated for climate legislation, became one of the most memorable experiences of his high school years. He learned about policy-making firsthand, seeing how resolutions are crafted, how legislators operate and how young people can influence the political process.
His passion for theater also began at SA. His first show was Romeo and Juliet as a freshman, and he still remembers how meaningful it was to work with the cast, build friendships and discover a talent he didn’t know he had.
He continued his love for performing at Hamilton and even studied abroad in London at the British American Drama Academy.
At SA, he was also deeply involved in the speech team, eventually becoming captain. Barragàn said that performing, presenting and learning how to effectively use his voice helped bridge his contrasting interests into something uniquely his.
When asked who at SA played a big role in this growth, he immediately mentioned Jennifer Cote, praising her for her style of teaching that pushed him creatively and personally. He explained, “Jen taught me how to take myself seriously as an artist.”
“She expected a lot from us because she believed we could rise to it. I learned how to be prepared, how to be professional and how to show up for the people I’m working with.” Those lessons still guide him today as an adult navigating the workforce.
As we wrapped up our conversation, I found myself thinking again about the fear so many seniors feel, the uncertainty, the worry and the pressure to have everything figured out. Barragàn truly believes that the paths we take aren’t always going to be straight lines and that we should not only focus on what is expected of us, but rather truly pursue the things we are passionate about that will bring us fulfillment at the end of the day.
What matters most is staying open to new experiences, following what excites us and trusting that the person we are becoming as we develop into young adults at Sonoma Academy will find our way.
