Student Profile on Sarah Sutton
By Cosette Leman, 9/3/19
Artists bloom in seemingly unexpected places. While Peoria, Illinois, may not be a breeding ground for progressive thinking, Sarah Sutton is certainly an exception and falls nothing short of an artist at heart.
Born and raised in Peoria, Sarah has lived in the same house her entire life with her two parents. She is the youngest of two, her older sister now a nurse. Growing up, she learned quickly that she had a natural gift, an ear for music. Mostly self-taught, she eventually accumulated the ability to play seven different instruments ranging from strings to brass to percussion. Music became not only a release for Sarah, but a way to cultivate her creativity. When she gained interest in film and cinematography, music was a foundational element of her creative process. Often she uses a single song or soundtrack to inspire her scripts and productions. Sarah is now in her second year at ICC and is pursuing a degree in mass communications and film production. She hopes to end up in Oregon to further this career path.
Another element of Sarah’s childhood that built into her character was her love of animals and nature. Being a dog lover, in particular, she takes great care in not only noticing the environment but also in recognizing the ways our world has affected it. Sarah is a big supporter of environmentalist efforts and hopes to be an advocate for further advances in this movement worldwide. She aims to travel in the future and further expand her horizons, speaking out for issues such as these. Her main focus is more directed towards Africa and Eastern Asia; places where there is little environmental awareness. Sarah’s love of life drives her to care for places, animals, and people outside the borders and comforts of Midwestern culture.
Perhaps one of Sarah’s greatest passions is people, specifically minorities or those who haven’t been privileged with a voice. Sarah graduated from Richwoods High School and she accredits much of her worldview to the ways she was shaped as an individual there. Attending a diverse school during these years opened her eyes to an assortment of people and cultures. She accumulated a wide range of friends in a group that wittily referred to themselves as the “scrunchie gang.” In addition, being apart of the LGBTQ community opened many doors for Sarah to reach out to others in similar positions. One of Sarah’s greatest goals is to use her giftings and talents to care for the outcasts, for the ones that need to be heard, She hopes to use her career in film and directing to further broaden this concept of inclusiveness and acceptance of any race, religion, or sexual orientation. She says, “I want to express real-world issues fictionalized. It reaches people in a way that they listen. I want to be a catalyst for change.” With Sarah’s not only empathetic but also tenacious nature, this career path will be perfect for her to flourish and pursue those goals.