Stepping Into the Unknown: Transfer Student Jen Nash ’26 on Theatre, Psychology, and Belonging
Learn about transfer student experiences at Bennington College.
For all of her life, Jen Nash ’26 lived on the same block in Burbank, California, in the valley region of Los Angeles—a city she’s long felt the need to escape. “I’ve always been drawn to a more intimate type of environment where people know one another,” she said.
As a first-generation college student and daughter of an immigrant, access and affordability shaped her educational path—and deepened her commitment to making the most of it. “I grew up with a single mom who told me she wouldn’t be able to pay for college,” Nash explained. “It was always something I really wanted to do. College was the goal.” She spent the first two years at Los Angeles Valley College, where she was part of California’s Promise Program, which allowed her to complete two years of community college tuition-free.
But the pull toward a smaller, quieter community and a strong theater program eventually led her to research Bennington College in The Princeton Review. She also liked Bennington’s self-directed academic structure. Although she wasn’t able to visit in person before enrolling, she toured virtually, studied campus maps, and spoke extensively with her best friend LaRue Vigil, who was able to visit and who assured her, “You’d really fit in.”
When Nash finally arrived in Vermont, it was her entire family’s first time in the state. “I just remember feeling like I was about to go on this journey and step into the unknown,” she recalled. “Everything was just so different. The sky looked different. The trees smelled different.” Despite the rainy weather and her initial nervousness, she said, “Eventually the sun came out, and it just felt right.”
At Bennington, Nash dove into opportunities from the very beginning. She auditioned on a whim for the fall faculty-directed play, The Cherry Orchard, and landed the role of Anya. It proved to be a transformative experience. “I met so many people that I think are going to stay with me forever, because I've never seen anyone work like them. I've never seen people work the way that they work. It was incredible. The work just never stopped for the entire cast every single day.”
She continued, “I reminisce on The Cherry Orchard my first term at Bennington almost like it's a lover. I love The Cherry Orchard so much because of the people that I worked with. I work hard, and now I'm around people who work as hard and maybe even harder, and so that inspired me.”
In her acting and directing work, Nash brings a deep curiosity about human behavior and inner life. That curiosity led her to an unexpected academic pairing: acting and psychology. She was watching a dance performance, and something just clicked. “I want to learn the way people think, and I want to understand the way people build relationships and the way people experience story and memory and sharing past experiences,” she remembered thinking. “I want to learn the parallels between that and acting.”
Nash sees acting and psychology as deeply intertwined. “Your problems in real life are your problems as an actor,” she says. “If I’m struggling to be present on stage, that probably means I’m also struggling to be present in my everyday interactions.” Her psychology coursework has become a tool for both personal growth and artistic development. “All my psych notes are like, ‘oh, this is what I would do as an actor,’ or ‘ooh, how can I do this exercise? What does this acting exercise mean? and how can I use this in my life?’”
That spirit of integration and reflection extends into her collaborations, including one with a fellow student, Leo Cipkowski '26, who asked Nash to co-direct his senior project after recognizing their shared vocabulary as artists. “He valued my opinion,” she says. “I’ve never felt as seen and appreciated as I have since coming to Bennington.” She wasn’t able to co-direct because of her schedule, but she’s excited to work with his actors and provide notes as an acting consultant.
Now several weeks into her final year, Nash continues to pursue a Plan in acting, directing, and psychology—a fusion that reflects both her intellectual interests and her personal journey.