May 4, 2008

Jennifer Houpy hadn't resolved her feelings about homosexuality when she was confronted with an important decision: whether to participate in a high school play about the murder of a gay man.

After heartfelt consideration, she played three roles, that of two lesbians and a bisexual.

She has never regretted her choice to take part in "The Laramie Project," a play about Matthew Shepard, a 21-year-old college student who was beaten and left to die outside Laramie, Wyo., in 1998.

"It was so much more than a play," Houpy said.

She and fellow participants sat in on a speech by Shepard's mother, and they reached out to gay students on campus.

"We immersed ourselves in the subject matter," Houpy said. "It caused me to really consider my views."

Houpy, 18, a senior at Hinsdale Central High School, was recently accepted to Harvard University. She will major in neurobiology.Though her focus is on science, she hopes to make time for the arts, including acting.

"I really want to be a part of contributing to the understanding of human beings," she said. "Neuroscience is always changing. There are so many questions we don't have answers to and so many questions we haven't asked yet."

Her high school guidance counselor, Kevin Koehler, said Houpy is one of the smartest students he has encountered in 30 years.

"She is a brilliant young woman with a mind that investigates all angles of a problem," Koehler said. "She's not a kid who needs to have the spotlight in order to flourish. When she isn't selected for a role in a production, she'll be in stage crew. There's not an ounce of arrogance in this kid."

Christine Hicks, an English and drama teacher who has taught and directed Houpy for years, admires her willingness to learn.

"She is always open to a new point of view or a new idea," Hicks said. "She shows on her face that she is seriously considering what you have to say."

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=807833&forum_id=1#9722762)