Acting gave Viola’s life new meaning, healing her. At fourteen, she met an acting coach named Ron Stetson in a summer program. Being part of the program gave Viola a new sense of perspective. Ron warned the young actors that they would have to work hard every day and learn to deal with rejection. Viola was not afraid of this. At a party for the closing of their show, Ron told Viola and her sister that they were both beautiful, which was the first time they had ever heard this. As a teacher, Ron gave his students the power of transformation and a safe space for empathy. The other students also came from difficult backgrounds, mostly as immigrants, but they were all willing to share themselves in these classes. Drama gave Viola an escape and helped her become herself. Yet being herself was scary, because it made her vulnerable in the world.