Student artist of the month: Will Ponder ’25

William Ponder ’25 has been involved in theater and the arts throughout his life. Starting at his church, then taking part in productions in middle school, Ponder has found community through his fellow cast members and an emotional outlet through his characters. In the future, Ponder will focus his studies on psychology at Howard University, but he hopes to continue performing every chance he can.

What got you started in acting?

I always loved acting. I started acting in the church; we used to do these little musicals and stuff. When I got to middle school, I did every single play and musical before COVID happened. I got to high school and I was like “I would love to be in the play,” so I did all four plays and I really loved it. I got to meet a bunch of really cool people and I got to really lose myself in the character.

What was it like to start participating in school productions?

It was a really fantastic experience. Ms. Cameron, the drama teacher [at Princeton Middle School], made sure that everyone, no matter how big or small your role, was having a lot of fun. It was such a diverse and fun experience. Your father is an artist — did he inspire you in any way? Both my father and my mother are really creative. My mom creates these really elaborate quilts and my dad is a painter, so there were these days where my sister and I would sit down and they both would present their pieces. They were also really encouraging me and my sister’s creative sides.

What was your favorite high school production?

I would say my favorite was definitely “The Play That Goes Wrong.” I did it my sophomore year and basically the premise of the play was we try to keep having the show go on when everything’s actually getting messed up. Our setlight collapsed at the end. It was very fun to be a part of. I was really close to my classmates because we had to do so many stunts and trust each other.

How do you handle nerves on stage?

A lot of the time my classmates and I will do these special exercises where we all try to get the nerves out of our system. Another thing that really helps is when I get nervous I talk really fast, so when I’m on stage I try to calm myself down. I just remember to breathe and just talk slower because slower will not be as slow as it sounds.

Are there any clubs at PHS that you joined that appeal to your creative side?

I’m in the Multicultural Student Achievement Network and something we did this year was the Black History Month Assembly. I really think we were able to show our true creative sides. There was a dancing club and a fashion show so we really were able to put our own creative sides into that.

If you were to give advice to someone who wants to follow in your footsteps, what would you say?

I would say just march at the beat of your own drum. If it seems cringe or embarrassing, it’s totally okay. I’d rather come off as an embarrassing person but authentic than someone who’s trying to be someone they’re not. Whatever makes you happy, you have to do that.